Iron Souls
by Kalissa55
Summary: My first published work in a long while. What if there was another person in the cave with Tony and Yinsen?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A group of men, dirty and sweaty were sitting together inside a dank cave set up with temporary lighting strung throughout. They'd just returned from their morning drills out in the blazing sun and were looking to vent their frustrations after being yelled at to keep doing better. Some carried guns, others had knives and all had the dangerous glint of fanaticism in their eyes as they focused on their current choice of entertainment.

An emaciated young woman was being pinned to the dirt floor while one of them jeered and poked and prodded at her. Sometimes he'd use his knife, other times he'd use his hands to grope her roughly through the ragged clothes she was wearing.

She was already covered in cuts old and new which were overlapping a rainbow of bruises but there was still a rebellious look in her eyes as she lay in the dirt. A smack, then a thump as she was picked up and then tossed back into the dirt. The man who'd been prodding her wiped spit off his face while his comrades laughed.

*0*0*0*0*

All I knew was pain. There was so much pain; it overlapped almost to the point where everything was numb with pain. My throat was raw from screams that no longer could be heard and sometimes, when my voice returns it takes me a while to realize I'm the one screaming.

Before I found myself on the ground surrounded by these monsters I had felt the darkness creeping in from the sides of my vision but then there was a pinch in my neck and a burning sensation in my veins which chased the darkness away from the edges of my eyes. The only reprieve I had from the pain was taken from me as I was tossed to this new patch of dirt floor.

I had no strength left to move with and I lay in the heap I had landed in. Someone was prodding at me and then roughly grabbed my upper arm and hauled me up into the lap of some dirty man. He held my chin tightly so that he could see my face and with what little strength was left in me, I spit in his face.

He slapped me hard and I could taste blood in my mouth as I fell to the ground once more. He yelled while other voices laughed and finally the blackness overtook me.

*0*0*0*0*

In another area which was a part of the same vast network of tunnels and caves was an area that had been made into a fairly large cell and inside were two men bustling about as best they could on weary legs and empty stomachs.

One was an olive skinned man native to the land. He was in his late forties with thinning hair and broken wire frame glasses perched atop a thin nose. His nose was crooked like it had been broken and put together too many times but he was clean shaven and clothed in a shirt, jacket and shoes that would have once passed as business casual attire. Now the clothes were stained brown in places with dried blood and dirt and there were small tears and threads all over. He'd introduced himself as Yinsen.

The other man was younger, a bit shorter, American and perhaps in his mid thirties. His hair was dark, thick and long enough to reach just below his ears. He had no glasses, a crooked nose or other permanently damaged features on his face. Only dirt, grime and superficial cuts and scrapes decorated his features but unlike the other man who had a light jacket, he was not attired for the cold of the cave and donned only a sleeveless shirt and ragged pants with strips of cloth wrapped around his feet where shoes should have been.

There was a glow in the shape of a circle shining a blue light through the thin fabric of the undershirt. His feet were bare to discourage any attempt at running away but for the rags wrapped around them to keep sharp rocks from piercing the skin. One could tell by looking at the man that although not muscular he had been fit and taken good care of his body. Now, there were dark circles under his eyes which only emphasized the frightened and skittish look in them and his once trim physique was now gaunt from lack of proper nourishment. He didn't need to introduce himself as everybody on base seemed to know who he already was.

He was weary in mind and body but getting ready for what would no doubt be another nightmare riddled sleep after a hard day of working on a weapon called the 'Jerico missle' for his captors. There was a small, flashy, glowing electro-magnet inserted into his chest, he called it an arc reactor as it worked on the same principal as a larger one he had created at a factory his company owned back in the United States. The arc reactor was newly installed and shining brightly in his chest, it's purpose was to keep pieces of shrapnel imbedded in his chest from moving and getting into his heart.

The attack which resulted in his capture had be fast and violent and he'd almost died like the others in his vehicle but his cell mate and practicing futurist doctor had jury rigged a car battery and rudimentary electro magnet during a painful surgery to keep him alive. He was glad not to be lugging the car battery around but wasn't sure yet if he was grateful towards his cell mate for saving his life or cautious. He was Tony Stark. Millionaire, playboy, genius and now prisoner. He didn't know who to trust or what to do yet but a plan had come together in his head.

Only a day ago he'd been demonstrating his company's latest weapon, TheJerico Missile to the American military in what was described as a 'hot zone', meaning an area of active fighting and war. At the time, he thought nothing of it. He'd thought himself invincible and untouchable in arrogance due to his wealth and perceived power. He'd been proven wrong in a split second when the vehicle he'd been in was attacked.

Those who now held him captive had used an RPG to blow up the vehicle he'd been in and as a result he had been left with a chest full of shrapnel that should have killed him.

Yinsen, as he told the story to Tony had been captured from a nearby village called Gulmira and forced into the service of the terrorists that were now holding them. He had performed surgery on Tony to remove what shrapnel he could but the pieces he couldn't remove due to lack of proper facilities and tools were left alone. Instead, the man had carved a hole in Tony's chest and roughly implanted an electro magnet powered by a car battery deep into the newly made cavity. Unfortunately, the car battery powering the magnet had been only loosely attached by wires that were prone to falling out and causing excruciating pain during interrogations with their captors. The 'operation' had been theoretical and Tony had been the first recipient of such a device.

Tony shuddered as memories of searing pain came to him because the surgery had been performed without anesthesia or pain killers of any kind. The plate in his chest still ached where skin met metal.

His captors wanted weapons. Tony had designed them and pitched them to the Army. The terrorists knew that given the right tools he could manufacture a set for them as well. Tony wasn't going to give them the weapons but made them think he would. He had asked for supplies and was surprised when everything he'd wanted was produced except for a computer.

With the supplies, instead of creating weapons he first fashioned himself a new electro magnet. One with a self-contained power source that wouldn't short out on him and had no loose wires that could be painfully caught on anything.

He'd been lucky that the previous setup had lasted long enough for him to create the miniaturized arc reactor. Only minutes after waking, he'd been taken to another area and tortured until he agreed to create weapons for his captors. His head and upper chest had been shoved under icy water and held until he thought he'd die. Drops of water had created sparks as they sizzled on loose wire ends and caused painful electrical burns along his chest.

*0*0*0*

After a week, the cellmates had become closer in their shared terror and captivity. Under the guise of working on weapons, Tony revealed to Yinsen what he was really creating from all the supplies that had been provided by holding up a number of pages which had seemingly random lines and scribbles strewn about with graphite.

Carefully, Tony had placed one sheet on the other, and then another and another until a picture formed. The plans were kept on multiple sheets that needed to be properly layered to show the schematics and Yinsen was left in awe of Tony's intellect. The man hid himself behind the mask of a playboy billionaire but moments like these showed that he was smarter than he let on and Yinsen agreed to help the man with his crazy escape plan.

Tony once again asked his jailers for a computer but they again refused. He had insisted that he would need it to program the missile and after bashing him in the face with the butt of a rifle the troupe of foot soldiers had left the cell chortling.

Tony's face was throbbing as he pressed it into the hard but cold ground which provided some relief but he desperately needed the computer or his plan would fail.

The blue glow and gentle hum of the generator was lulling him to sleep when he heard the first screams.

Yinsen was having a cup of tea and nearly spilled the scalding liquid onto his hands while Tony sat up quickly, eyes wide and looking in the other man's direction for answers. Yinsen looked to the door with a strange look on his face, Tony followed suit looking a bit frightened wondering what was going on but also confused by the look of hope on his cell mate's face.

He had already been in the cave for a week by his guess, Yinsen a few weeks longer but the caves had always been quiet for the duration of their stay so far, save for the usual shuffle of the guard's feet.

The screaming went on for only a few seconds but it felt much longer to the pair in the cell as they shuddered and paled at the high pitched female voice bouncing off the walls and ringing in their ears. Screams changed to shouts and then screams again until there was a yell from an unknown man, cruel laughter from another and the screaming stopped abruptly. A chill ran up Tony's spine while he wondered if he would be the one screaming next.

Both men stared at the door as they heard noises on the other side, not daring to look at each other to see the fear mirrored on their faces.

There was some scuffling outside the door and before either man could stand in their usual stance with their hands behind their heads a bundle was literally thrown into the room in Tony's direction from some nameless guard while another held a gun on them. Tony jumped up quickly from his cot to catch it before it fell; quickly realizing it was a person.

The leader of the terrorist cell came in pushing the guard aside. He spoke indicating that Yinsen should translate.

"The girl is a gift to you for all the work you've done so far. Although not pure, she is quite enjoyable and I strongly encourage you to partake in using her. Should you not want her I will take her back for she is still feisty and I will enjoy taming her."

Yinsen felt sick translating the words of his captor. Tony was obviously going to decline the gift, already walking the bundle back toward the guards. Without thought Yinsen hastily spoke loudly in English first then in Arabic.

"He will accept your gracious gift. Many thanks for your thoughtfulness and generosity." He didn't miss the surprised look he was getting from all the eyes in the room especially Tony. Before any argument could be made their captors closed the door and shuffled away.

Livid, Tony turned to Yinsen ready to rip him a new one his arms still full with the unconscious or possibly dead body.

"What the hell are you doing? I may be a play boy but I hardly think this is the time or place for me to get my jollies with some prostitute!"

Yinsen turned to him glaring at Tony's casual use of the word prostitute. "She is not now, nor has she ever been a prostitute!"

Yinsen looked at the girl being held in Tony's arms and although he'd suspected he knew her, was still surprised to see her. Last time he'd seen her was when he had treated her, days before Tony was brought to the caves.

She'd suffered many injuries, internal and external. Some had been superficial and others not so much, requiring stitches with a rusty needle and non-medical thread from a spool. Due to the use of improper supplies combined with the lack of basic hygiene products and no access to clean, running water, many of her cuts and injuries had quickly become inflamed and infected despite being treated. When he'd been brought to treat her a second time, she had been fighting a fever and antibiotics had not been provided as he'd requested after examining and treating her the first time.

He hadn't spent much time talking or getting to know the girl but he had been touched by her genuine concern for him and found she was well educated and surprisingly kind to him given the situation. He'd been teaching her the Arabic language during their visits to take her mind off the injuries she'd sustained and the pain he was causing her as he did his best to treat her.

She had been bright and eager to learn and he found himself wondering how she'd ended up in these caves but knew better than to ask. Being held captive in the caves wasn't the place to share stories or commiserate over how they ended up there. Better to stay quiet or if permitted, make idle chatter about nonsensical matters. Better not to connect with anyone or care for another person. The tiniest slip of the tongue could be used against you as leverage to gain another's freedom and you never know who can be trusted. Many in the caves were desperate to leave, although few if any ever would leave alive.

Tony looked at Yinsen, surprised with the man's defense of the girl and, instead of dropping her as he'd initially planned, he slowly lowered her to the floor, his arms feeling suddenly heavy. "Do you know this girl Yinsen?"

Yinsen sighed and came a bit closer to Tony hoping he was mistaken about her identity. His blood ran cold as his fear was confirmed. "I have had the pleasure of spending some time with her here prior to your arrival. She was captured not long before me and I was told to keep her alive if I myself wished to live. She is from North America I think, but she was taken from my care before I learned much about her. I accepted her on your behalf only to keep her away from our captors. We will deal with any issues as they come."

Tony took another look at the girl, only now noticing she was wearing the tattered remains of clothes that could be from any mall back home. Not that he'd ever needed to go to a mall since Pepper took care of his shopping but he wasn't stupid.

He frowned at how the clothes were hanging off her emaciated frame; she obviously had not been eating as well as him during her capture and that was saying something.

He glanced over at the pot hanging over the embers of the fire and recalled the last time Yinsen had spooned something out of the pot it had been salty and a bit sour and looked like it had already been eaten and digested once before. The doctor had assured him it was the best he was going to get and he'd need to eat to keep his strength up. Tony had eaten the substance but had fought his gag reflex the entire time.

He turned his attention back to the unconscious woman on the ground in front of him and then to Yinsen. The man was obviously concerned for the health of the newest occupant in the drab cave as she bled on the dirt floor from numerous cuts and scratches. Both men hoped that was the extent of her injuries but whether they would admit it or not they knew there were most likely others and it was a small blessing that she had not regained consciousness.

After the quick look Yinsen indicated that she should be moved to the cot. There was only one in the space they were sharing so if one of them slept, the other kept watch or slept on the rocky ground. Deciding it was the best course of action at the time, Tony braced himself and stood up with the girl in his arms, trying to be gentle, his features softening as he looked at the youthful face under all the cuts, scrapes and bruises.

His peace while looking at her was short lived however because just as he took his first step he saw stars as the now conscious girl in his arms punched him in the face! There was no doubt that he would have a black eye tomorrow.

She wiggled free from his grasp and fell to the floor in a heap before gathering herself and fleeing to crouch by the door staring warily at the two men, eyes unfocused.

*0*0*0*0*0*

I was frightened at first and then disappointed to be awake again. I didn't even know how it was that I hadn't already died. The human body certainly was much stronger than I'd given it credit for and I sometimes thought that was unfortunate for me.

I tried to move once I awoke but quickly realized I was being held in someone's arms. A man's arms. I did my best to escape knowing it was futile but refusing to be passive just the same. No matter what these monsters did I would never just let them have their way. I was going to make them regret ever having taken me and maybe if I got lucky one of them would kill me so I could finally rest.

After a brief struggle and a blind swing at what I hoped was the man's face I was surprised when he actually dropped me in a heap onto the ground. I crawled away quickly and when I found my way blocked I curled up against the wall blocking my way.

I was surprised to find myself being carried since I was usually just dragged by the arms from place to place. What was going on here?

*0*0*0*0*0*

"Ow! What the hell was that?! "Tony instinctively tried to bring his hand to the injured eye but Yinsen gently held it in place looking at Tony's hand and arm.

After getting over his shock Tony followed Yinsen's gaze down to his arm and paled at the amount of blood he saw. A quick mental check confirmed he wasn't injured so the blood was probably the girl's. He was no doctor but even he knew that was bad.

He stepped toward the girl swiftly and arrogantly without thinking. He was tired, constantly on high alert and frankly just wanted to get things back on track. "Hey I'm no doctor but you shouldn't move around like that if you're hurt. Let me get you to the cot and Yinsen can check you out."

Before he could touch her, the girl lashed out and kicked him in the shin with the heel of a bare foot.

"Ow! Again! Do I look like a punching bag to you? OK, maybe I do since I've recently had the pleasure of spending some time with our gracious hosts but seriously, ow! "

"Tony, you do not look like a punching bag but she has no doubt been frightened by her recent ordeal and you, like our captors are a man."

*0*0*0*0*0*

I had expected a beating after hitting the man holding me but it never came. The man crouched down in front of me and spoke but my ears were ringing, my head was spinning and I couldn't make out the words.

As the man approached me I started to shake from a fear that was consuming me and a lashed out without thinking and struck him in the leg with my foot.

Had I been rescued? If that was the case, why was I still in the caves? Was I being taken to a gurney? My eyes darted around the space quickly and I was disappointed to see that a rescue had not taken place. The men in front of me looked ragged and worn but otherwise unharmed. I didn't have my glasses but the one man looked familiar and I did my best to speak through the haze of pain I was feeling now that the ringing in my ears had quieted a bit.

*0*0*0*0*0*

Tony's shoulders dropped and he turned to Yinsen for guidance. Before more could be said between the two, a third voice chimed in. It was shaky and hoarse from the earlier screaming but clear enough.

"Is that you Yinsen?" She squinted in the dim light of the cave, trying to see the man.

Yinsen turned to face the girl, tried to get a little closer to better assess her condition when she raised her arms in defense.

"Don't come closer! Please. Just stay where you are." Tears were now running down her face as she trembled in fear. "I know you won't hurt me like they did but stay back. Please!"

*0*0*0*

I was relieved to see the doctor named Yinsen again. I don't remember much of our time together but he had never hurt me and although he'd been brusque at first he'd been kinder later. He'd taught me some Arabic and patched me up as best he could at the time.

I wanted to stop the fear that was swallowing me up but my body shook with fear despite my efforts to stop and tears of frustration ran from my eyes.

*0*0*0*

Her pleas pierced their hearts and Tony having never been in a situation such as this was trying to hide behind the arrogant playboy facade he used back home. He was failing miserably, but damned if he wasn't going to try.

The woman took a couple of deep ragged breaths in an attempt to calm down and finally was able to speak. "I want to die. Just leave me here in the dirt; I don't deserve your help and I don't want your pity, either of you. I'm just being kept here to be used but if either of you cares even a little you'll let me die."

Yinsen crouched where he stood and looked her in the eyes. "I know you are in pain, both physically and emotionally but if you die my life will be forfeit. Our captors have seen it fit to task me with keeping both you and Tony alive."

The girl knew Yinsen was an honorable man and he wouldn't come closer to her, even near death without her consent. Looking into his eyes she saw the unsaid. He would forfeit his life if she really wanted to die. She took another ragged breath and spoke.

"I won't let you die because of me but..." She looked at Tony, wary and ill at ease, her voice trailing off...

"Tony will not harm you, he is an arrogant but decent man and we are working together to forge an escape from here. Tony glared at Yinsen quickly as the man blurted out their biggest secret but he was ignored. Let me help you and we can talk more later. Can you walk to the cot over there?" Yinsen pointed to a ragged and stained cot a few feet away.

She looked at Tony, then the cot. Steeling herself she slowly stood, bracing her hand against the rocky wall behind her. She took one step and collapsed in pain, her already pale face looking almost green. "Give me some time, I'm a fast healer, I'll manage in a bit." More tears came down now, no longer silent but accompanied by heart wrenching sobs.

*0*0*0*0*0*

I'm so angry at myself for getting into this situation. This should never have gone so far, I should have ended things earlier before they got to this point and now it's too late.

I could feel tears still running down my cheeks but now it was from the severity of the pain I was feeling and I felt shame that I couldn't hold myself together or even walk a few feet unassisted. I was in pain and felt as though the room was spinning like a carnival ride.

My heart thudded so hard in my chest I was certain the sound could be heard by the men in front of me. I couldn't breathe properly and was feeling a cold sweat coming on when I thought about being trapped in here with two men.

I don't even remember what I'd recently done but given some time I should be able to have enough strength the reach the cot. Either I would heal or die. Neither seemed to be a favorable outcome in my current situation but before I could think further on the subject the younger man, Tony as Yinsen had called him approached her again.

*0*0*0*0*0*

Tony stepped forward slowly, crouching a few feet from the girl. "I've got work to do and I need some rest. If you promise not to hit me I'll get you to the cot so I won't need to worry about you dying there." She stared at him with narrow eyes, not at all happy about his proposal.

"C'mon, the ladies back home tell me they love my arms, why don't you give 'em a go?"

Yinsen glared at Tony for his crass attitude but remained silent. For all his womanizing ways the man had no idea how to be around a woman.

*0*0*0*0*0*

I looked at the man who was speaking carefully. Was he really telling jokes in this situation or had I lost my mind? I didn't know what was going on and I trembled as he approached me but something in the man's eye's put me at ease and I felt my lips turn up into a smirk. I may have been delirious as well because I thought I heard myself giggle as well.

*0*0*0*0*0*

Oddly the girl actually smirked at Tony and giggled. Maybe she was delirious but just like that the tension in the room broke and Tony easily picked her up and strode to the cot. She still trembled a bit but seemed to be doing her best not to struggle or try to hit Tony again.

"Please keep your arms and legs in the car at all times until the ride comes to a complete stop." Tony prattled on as he carried her to the cot in a surprisingly gentle hold while taking large and graceful strides that should have been near impossible given the rags on his feet and the rocky cold ground beneath them. She seemed to calm down in his arms, enjoying his warmth surprising both men and herself with the reaction.

Tony deposited her on the cot gently not wanting to hurt her further. He was about to walk away when she spoke in a voice forced past the pain, this time without the terrified tremor. "If that was a ride I want a refund." She was grinning despite her aches and seemed to enjoy the flirty banter.

Going with the flow Tony fell into a jovial rhythm. "Sorry no refunds, but I can make it up to you later." He winked at her grinning face, noticing how it was transformed by the small grin she bared and hunkered down near her head to keep her distracted while Yinsen examined her.

*0*0*0*0*0*

I was now laying on the cot and the room was spinning even more in this position and I did my best to focus on the man speaking to me. He held my hand as Yinsen patched me up. I tried to lay still for him but I know I was shaking with the effort to keep calm and my breaths were coming out short and rapid.

The man squeezed my hand to get my attention and he'd say something asinine to garner a reaction from me.

*0*0*0*0*0*

They went on like this for a while, Tony holding her hand and providing warmth and support when things became painful for her. He learned that she was born and raised in the good ol' USA but had dual citizenship and currently resided in Canada. Yinsen had basic medical supplies, but no painkillers other than basic antihistamines and ibuprofen.

Once Yinsen was done she turned her grateful eyes to him trying not to let him see how much pain she was in. She wouldn't be bleeding to death and that's what mattered now. Yinsen did the best he could under the circumstances and hopefully her wounds wouldn't become infected again.

She then turned to look at Tony, and met his eyes briefly to convey her thanks.

Tony nodded to the woman and let go of her hand. He gazed at her face as his eyes took in her features. He didn't know why but when he was with her he felt a strange warmth in his chest and it had nothing to do with the arc reactor there.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The consistent hum of cheap construction lights was loud in the silence of the cold and dank cavern. Day and night, a string of temporary construction lights was always on in the small cavern being used as a cell occupying three people. This ensured that the security cameras installed in the ceiling would always be able to capture the activities of those within. It was another day, or cycle of eating and working for the occupants of the dank cave. The cameras weren't properly installed since no one took the time to do anything more than mount them sloppily against the various rocky surfaces on the ceiling of the cavern. It would be simple to disable them or turn them away from where they currently pointed but as Tony learned the hard way, the consequences for tampering with the cameras or the lights were harsh and swift.

His first act of rebellion, a day after he'd first woken with the car battery powering the electro magnet in his chest, had been to throw rocks at the cameras. Yinsen had been taken elsewhere at that point and Tony had been alone so no one had warned him about the 'rules' his captors upheld. After successfully cracking the screens of three of the cameras, a handful of men had barged into his cell and dragged him out so quickly that he'd almost forgotten to grab the battery attached to him.

There was yelling he didn't understand and then his head had been shoved roughly into a tub of icy water. He'd felt the water dripping onto his chest in between each dunk of his head and he'd wondered if he would drown first or if the electro magnet in his chest would fizzle out from water damage. He'd blacked out after counting five prolonged submersions of his head and when he'd woken, Yinsen had been tending to him and scolding him about silly antics.

The consistent din of the light made it impossible to gauge time exactly without access to the outdoors but it was assumed by Yinsen and Tony that their captors would visit them every morning once a day to deliver food for the day's rations. Yinsen had woken first today and was already stirring something in the pot over the embers of the fire and Tony and the newest occupant of the cavern were a few feet away in the area that was assigned for resting.

There was a corner in the back which contained a makeshift sleep and wash area with a low and flimsy board propped up on one side of the 'toilet' to act as a partition for modesty. To the right of it there was one cot compromised of a rusty and rickety frame about two inches off the ground and a squeaky and stained mattress on top. Beside that was one pile of miscellaneous rags, stained with all manners of bodily fluids, dirt and grime and it was used as a second bed when needed. The newest occupant of the space was still severely injured and was occupying the cot. Tony needed to keep his strength and mental status up in order to continue working on the escape plan which consisted both of planning the escape and creating the needed equipment.

Yinsen, currently was there to assist Tony and now keep another person alive as well and so had made himself useful by staying up and keeping watch save for a small nap he had on the ground near the fire in the middle of room. His jacket was dingy and frayed but served as a cushion well enough to provide some modicum of comfort while he rested.

He'd stoked the embers through the night to chase the cold and damp away. After some time, as usual, a low grinding and squealing sound indicated that something was being inserted into the slot near the bottom of the heavy metal door to the cell. A quick look confirmed to Yinsen that a flat parcel was being pushed through but he made no attempt to retrieve it until after it had fallen to the dirt on his side of the door.

He walked to the parcel and picked it up quickly, before the rats could claim it first and brought it over to the fire to inspect the contents in a slightly better light.

A crust of bread, spoiling with mold on one end. He tore away the mold and tossed it to a far corner of the space for the rats and placed the rest back into the parcel to save for later before looking at the rest. There was some sort of a meat that had already been cooked but had long since cooled. He couldn't tell exactly what type of meat it was but it didn't smell of rot so he cut it up with a small paring knife and tossed the pieces into a dented pot along with some vegetable pieces that looked surprisingly fresh.

After the food had been set in the cooking pot he added some water from a basin near the washing area and added some spices from unlabeled bottles before hanging it onto the rickety setup over the fire to warm. It would be some time before the tough fibers of the food would be warmed through enough to consume so he had removed his jacket, bundled it into a pillow and fallen asleep for a quick nap.

For a few moments, all was still and quiet in the cave and those within had some measure of peace. It was an hour after Yinsen had fallen asleep that Tony and the woman had woken from their slumber to start the day.

*0*0*0*

It hurts to move, it hurts to breath. It hurts to even be alive but it would be selfish of me to die now. When I die, I don't want to cause pain for anyone else, I just want to slip off unnoticed. My family back home would be sad if I died now. Yinsen would be killed, Tony would be left alone.

The cot I'm on is the only one in this room. Yinsen had stayed up and kept watch while Tony and I slept.

I feel like a lump just laying here but maybe I can try sitting up so I can eat. I don't even remember the last time I had food or water and Tony's already spooning out some sort of porridge into containers they must be using as serving ware. Yinsen must have made the food before he nodded off.

*0*0*0*

"…and that brings us back to the sleeping area here." Tony was pointing out the various 'features' of their space to the woman occupying the cot and explaining their daily routine to her. He'd made no mention of the escape plan and she hadn't inquired about it for which he was grateful.

Tony was serving up some sort of a slop looking thing into mugs for breakfast while gingerly prodding at his black eye and grumbling to himself. He was glancing worriedly at the woman who was still in the bed unable to move around too much due to the stitches holding her wounds together.

"So... I think I've spent more time talking with you than any other woman I know besides Pepper and I don't even know your name." He spoke as he stood from his task by the low fire and walked over to the woman holding two containers.

He helped her into a sort of sitting position that she claimed was sufficiently comfortable before giving her one of the portions of food he'd retrieved. He settled in beside the cot and turned his attention to his own portion of food in its own mug. The color had been rubbed away long ago and it looked gray or brown like much of their current surroundings but it held the food so they could eat.

She looked up from the cup she'd been handed, glad for the distraction from the muck inside and looked at Tony. He smirked at her and ate a spoon of whatever it was they were eating.

"Nice try, but don't think I didn't see you checking me out when you thought I wasn't looking." She winked and caught him off guard before she too ate a spoonful of whatever was in the mug she held.

*0*0*0*

Why would he bother to ask my name? Is there any point in getting to know me? It's better if we just mind our own business and wait for the end. Mine will come first, it has to.

I looked up into his eyes and saw the curiosity in them. He was handsome in his own way. He had a nice face, dark features with a chiseled face. He was of average height and the way he carried himself made him seem taller still. His arms looked strong and I remembered how solid they felt as he carried me to the cot. His chest had been warm too and he hadn't strained under my weight but there was also been a strange blue circle in the middle of his warm chest and I didn't know what it was.

I could see now that he was arrogant in a way that expressed he expected me to answer him, like no one would ever deny him what he wants but his gaze now, fixed on me was shifting and looking curious and a bit worried as well. He looked familiar to me but I couldn't place my finger on why.

He wanted to know my name. The entire time I'd been here no one had asked me my name except for Yinsen. I was always just grabbed and hauled off. Sometimes when I managed to lash out at someone they would curse at me but not once was I called by my name. They had my passport and all my ID so I'm sure someone must know my name but it hardly mattered now. To them I was beneath an animal in value and a tool to use as they pleased.

Tony was waiting patiently for me to speak and so I did but I wondered about his comment about another woman. Pepper? Was that his wife?"

*0*0*0*

In a more subdued voice she answered his question. "My name's Mia. My mom was an Abba fan and named me after the hit 'Mamma Mia'. I wonder if I'll ever see her again." Mia looked downcast and tears pooled in her eyes as she thought of her Mother and the rest of her family whom she missed dearly.

"You'll see her. I promise." He looked at her, a serious look in his eyes. Mia wasn't as confident and looked like she was about to say something but instead nodded her head and asked a question of her own. "Who's Pepper?"

"She's my PA and the only woman I put up with. She's smart, ballsy, good looking and I think she even cares about me."

"You have a PA at work? You must be pretty high up in the food chain."

"Huh? At work? Pepper goes everywhere with me, she has a setup at my place and even sleeps there sometimes. I'm glad she didn't come here with me though." Now it was Tony who had the look of longing for family in his eyes as he looked down at his meal and did his best to eat it without gagging.

Mia pondered Tony's words and ate a spoon of the mushy stuff in her mug. She fought not to spit it out, swearing it was trying to crawl back up her throat. "Tony, what the heck is this stuff?"

"I don't know. Yinsen always makes sure to put a bunch of different things in the pot and lets it boil to kill off anything that might make us sick. As a result, all the food turns into this mush, I'm pretty sure it won't kill us. It hasn't yet anyways." He looked Mia up and down with a critical eye before speaking again.

"If anything, I think not eating it might kill you. When was the last time you ate?" He couldn't help but to look over at Mia's form again and was shocked at how emaciated she was. He'd never seen someone with so little between their bones and skin and he shivered at what she must have been through during her time in captivity thus far.

Swallowing a small spoon full of the muck quickly to avoid tasting it she shrugged not really knowing how long it had been since she last ate. "I ate the last time I saw Yinsen. Once they took me away I thought I could do with a diet. A girl's gotta keep her figure."

In truth, she had always been given just enough to keep her alive but not enough to ever fill her. When Yinsen had first treated her, he'd insisted that she be fed more and had managed to convince their captors to give her some decent food. Most was moldy but Yinsen had cleaned the food as best he could and fed it to her so that her body could heal. After a short time, when she hadn't died the captors had taken him away and he hadn't visited again. They'd also not fed her again. She only had access to whatever scraps and dregs were tossed her way after she was left used and in pain on the ground in front of all the men who would use her. The food would be dirty and covered in sand or the dirt but she'd eaten it in an attempt to lessen the pain in her empty stomach.

Tony rolled his eyes and moved closer to the fire to toss a log he'd picked up from a pile to one side into the embers. "Oh yeah, you look fantastic, I can use a new coat rack."

"You're just jealous of my figure. Don't be slacking too much by the fire, lest your many muscles turn to flab."

"Did you just compliment me?"

Mia felt her face go red and hoped the cave was dim enough to hide it. "Puh-lease, watch the ego Tony, the cave is only so big."

Yinsen had woken by now and was slowly eating his own portion of the meal when Tony spoke up again. Trying to be nonchalant he quietly asked, wanting to know her story. "So why are you here?"

The question came out sounding more serious and caring than Tony wanted to admit being and Yinsen glared at him for the lack of tact but he too was curious even though he already suspected the worst having seen her injuries earlier.

Mia cast her eyes downward as she quietly spoke. "I was passing through and was captured and brought here. They made demands but I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't do what they wanted and they punished me for it. I'll spare you the details." The spoke quietly and mumbled more than anything but both men accepted her words. This wasn't an interrogation and their intent was not to make her feel worse than she probably already did.

The men shared a knowing look. Neither of them needing the details of her time in the caves but worrying about how she had been affected and how she might be a risk to their escape plan. There was no question about it; they were getting her out when the time came, they just hoped she could hang in there a while longer.

The looks they shared weren't lost on Mia and she fought down her tears as she came to the worst case scenario in her head. She knew they didn't care about her, why would they? She was just an inconvenience to them, a weak, dirty, ugly freak they were now stuck with. She was so stupid to have thought they cared for even a second, stupid to have enjoyed the strong and gentle feeling of Tony's arms as he carried her. "Don't worry about me, I'll stay quiet and out of your way. You won't have to put up with me, you've both done enough."

The men looked at her confused, not knowing why she was saying such a thing.

Tony not being one to hesitate spoke quickly in a hasty attempt to comfort Mia. "Hey you're fine and you aren't in the way. We just heard you out there earlier..." Mia winced at the reminder but Tony kept going. "...it sounded like you hurt some of them. If I was keeping score I'd say you're ahead of the game." He gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile before turning away.

Tony's comment surprised Mia as she wasn't expecting him to mention the yell of the soldier who's face shed spit in before he's smacked her to the ground with a severe backhand. She was glad he didn't mention anything else about what they might have heard but she was sure they'd heard more than enough and was glad nothing more about it was mentioned.

Getting up and putting away their mugs Tony was heading toward the forge to set up for more work. Mia thought about what he'd said once more. She certainly didn't feel ahead of any game, she was beaten, bloody and sore while their captors were still intact but, it was nice of him to say what he did.

"What is it that you two are doing in here anyways?" Mia craned her neck from her position on the cot. "I know Yinsen is a doctor but what about you Tony?"

Tony paused what he was doing and turned to look over at her, motioning himself with his arms, top to bottom surprise all over his face. "Don't you know who I am?"

Mia looked at him; squinting trying to place is face. "I don't have my glasses with me but my eyes aren't that bad. No, I have no idea who you are but I'll admit you do look familiar. Should I know who you are? Are you an actor or something? What would the terrorist group want with an actor?"

Tony looked at her, his mouth gaping like a fish, no sound coming out. Yinsen, expressing his amusement at Tony's incredulity with a bitter chuckle answered for him from where he was standing on the other side of the forge. "He's Tony Stark of Stark Enterprises. They are the world's largest weapons manufacturer and supplier and he is currently known as the most eligible bachelor in the USA. I must admit I'm surprised you didn't recognize him, he's on the cover of many magazines around the world and the topic of many conversations in the media." Yinsen shook his head in wonder at the woman's ignorance of Tony's status.

Mia didn't respond immediately but was thinking back on something before speaking. "Aren't' the weapons being used by the Ten Rings all labeled Stark?" The gears were turning in her head but she tried not to jump to any conclusions. The man himself, Tony, was after all captive to the terrorists as well.

Tony averted his gaze not wanting to answer her and Yinsen also chose not to speak this time.

"That's why they kidnapped you! They want your company to make weapons for them!" Mia looked at the worn-down man nearby and now understood his arrogance. He was the owner and majority shareholder of the world's largest weapons manufacturer.

"Actually…" Tony looked uncomfortable but continued. "They want me to make the weapons, not my company."

Mia looked at him oddly. "Aren't you just the CEO or something? You can't actually make stuff can you? That's what grunts are for. "

Tony looked uncharacteristically sheepish but it was Yinsen who spoke up this time. "Tony is somewhat of a genius; he built his first circuit board when he was six years old and has since then specialized in the miniaturization of many modern technologies. He's best known for his creative take on weapons of mass destruction. In fact, there was a documentary recently released called 'Ghosts of the twentieth Century. Tony was interviewed for a part of it." Yinsen got up to help Tony get ready to work, nonplussed by the facts he'd relayed.

Tony sat still, staring at his hands holding the container of food. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut by what Yinsen had just said. He'd done more than just create smaller weapons with a big payload. The money from weapons sales to the American military had been used to research and develop medical biometric implants which monitored a patient's medical status by remote and informed a doctor of dangerous changes to the patient's stats. Cardiac replacements and cardiac replacement medicines were created to improve the quality of life for those who had heart conditions or were waiting for a heart transplant. Many who were in chronic pain could now administer their own pain management meds thanks to the Stark Industries internalized micro pumps which administered drugs without being tethered by IV to a small machine on a stand that had to be toted around on a pole. He and his company were working to improve the world, not just blow things up.

Before he could refute or add to what Yinsen had said, Mia spoke up again.

"Huh. So here I am community college gal in a cave with a doctor and a genius. It's like a bad joke. A genius, a doctor and a college grad walked into a bar..."

She trailed off, wincing in pain when she tried to get up from the cot where she was in a partially seated position.

Tony was glad she didn't seem to be angry over who he was or what his company did and at her indication of pain was immediately by her side. "Hey, don't pop any stitches. My hand's still sore from your crushing grip; if you need to be stitched up again you'll probably break a finger or something and I'll never get any work done in here." Tony was mostly joking but he had, at the time been surprised by the strength of her grip. He didn't know where someone so skeletal could pull that much strength from.

Gasping through the current wave of pain Mia gave him a look. "Really? Maybe you're just a sissy. Let's see you get all stitched up without drugs. Besides, I need to use the bathroom. Where is it?."

"Mia, we don't have a bathroom…there's a toilet there" Tony pointed to a hole in the ground a few feet away. "…and a basin there." Tony pointed right next to it.

Mia turned red, completely embarrassed about the flounder. A hole in the ground was more than she'd had access to prior to being thrown into this space. Why she'd thought a bathroom might be provided she didn't know. She should have expected this. She was in a cave captured by terrorists after all, not in a common house or apartment like she'd known previously.

All of her earlier cells only had a drain if she was lucky, otherwise she'd be forced to use the ground she was standing in and when finally, the smell was so strong it couldn't be ignored bucket after bucket of freezing water would be thrown atop her by faceless men as they yelled and laughed at her and then left her shivering from the wet. The difference was, that she'd previously been alone but now she was sharing a space with two others. What was she thinking? She bit her bottom lip in contemplation trying to come up with a solution to her quandary.

Yinsen spoke up after no immediate solution was presented by the resident genius. "We will turn our backs to you as we do for each other but that is all the privacy we can offer, I'm sorry." The older man stood and walked further away from the area designated as the bathroom and turned his back. Mia gulped but had no choice but to accept the current situation.

She was really very embarrassed about her predicament and the fact that she couldn't do anything alone right now but tried hard to be nonchalant about it. "Okay, this is so gross but someone help me shuffle to the toilet there. Then if you could both turn around and close your eyes and hum while covering your ears...yeah...that would be good I guess."

The men did the best they could and Mia quickly finished up. As the hours passed she did the same for them when needed but it was most definitely an odd situation.

Hours later Yinsen and Tony were sitting for lunch, Mia having fallen asleep while her body healed.

"Tony I am worried about her state of mind. She has been through a very traumatic experience but is only 'cracking jokes '. What she said earlier, about her lack of value... that is just the tip of the iceberg. Despite your lack of social graces she seems closer to you than me. You should try to talk with her, have her unload some of her burden."

"She's been through a lot Yinsen, we all have. I'd rather have her cracking jokes instead of crying all over the place right now. Don't girls like chocolate or something? Cheers them up right? Pepper likes chocolates. I'm in short supply here, meaning I have none, so jokes are good right now. Just leave it alone for the time being."

The men took a look at Mia, angered at her harsh treatment, but they both knew that if they were going to help her in any way it was best to keep working on their escape. They needed to get out alive and they were on borrowed time as the leader of the Ten Rings grew more impatient by the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The lights were still humming in the cavern as Tony stared up at them from his position on a pile of dirty rags being used as a buffer between his body and the unyielding cold ground. Not quite awake and still bleary eyed, he rubbed his eyes before rotating his neck to get some of the accumulated stiffness to ease up. He wasn't sure what woke him as he was accustomed enough to the uncomfortable bed of rags and exhausted from the day's work. It amazed him how quickly he'd become accustomed to sleeping in the cavern with its cold drafts and humming lights but every day he did his best to return to his old life even knowing that it would never be quite the same after this experience. He craned his head and look over at Yinsen who was the one that insisted they keep a regular schedule, still sleeping.

Yinsen had insisted that if they were to come out of this ordeal intact that they eat, work and sleep on a regular schedule. Funny thing was that Tony had never slept more than when he'd been in this cave. He'd always worked all day and night with the occasional public appearance and party sprinkled around. He'd eventually pass out drunk after having his way with a random woman he'd bring to his bed.

Unable to return to his slumber, something didn't feel right but in his sleepy daze which was only just starting to fade he couldn't quite pinpoint it. He sat up, more awake than he'd been and looked at his surroundings, taking stock of where everything was and subconsciously listening for the guards that he knew were on the other side of the heavy door barricading them inside. He knew something wasn't right but what was it?

His eyes swept the room and panic quickly stabbed at his chest once he realized Mia wasn't on the cot next to him. Eyes wide, thinking she had been taken while they slept he crossed quickly to where Yinsen was sleeping near the fine and was about to wake him when his eyes caught a flickering shadow on the wall, behind the pathetic partition that had been set up for modesty when using the 'bathroom'. He got up, ready to defend himself in case this was a trick by the guards but was surprised to instead find Mia, her clothes in a heap on the ground and she, herself in the wash basin, the water dark from a combination of her blood and the accumulated dirt on her skin.

She'd been in so much pain during the day she couldn't even sit up without some help, he couldn't fathom how she'd managed to get herself to the wash basin or even into it without either Yinsen or himself hearing or noticing her at all, neither were heavy sleepers. Although large and deep, it was only about half the size of an average bathtub and neither man would fit into it comfortably so they'd been using spitz baths to keep clean as possible so that cuts and wounds wouldn't become infected or that lice, fleas and other pests and parasites would be less likely to use them as hosts.

He kept his eyes on the top of her head as he walked closer, not only to protect her modesty but to also emotionally protect himself. He had a bad feeling about this and he also was afraid to see the full extent of the physical damage that had been inflicted onto her body. He felt a crushing guilt knowing that those who had done this to her had the power to do it, in part because of his weapons. That she was captured and brought here for 'his pleasure'. He felt sick just thinking about it but schooled his face into one of sleepy boredom before approaching.

Hiding behind his façade he opened his mouth to chastise her about moving around and getting her wounds wet but the words died on his lips when he noticed her tightly clasped hand and shivering form. She seemed so intent on what she was doing she didn't even notice his presence.

Now that he was closer to her he sucked in a breath through his teeth. He could see she was shaking hard from a combination of the cold air in which he could see his breath and the cold water she was sitting in. Lacking a sponge or something soft at all, it seemed she'd grabbed a twig or something from the ground and was using it on herself, frantically rubbing her skin raw while she sobbed quietly. She had re-opened some wounds and worn away some skin on her neck and who knows where else. The water was dark and he felt sick at the amount of blood it must have taken to achieve that color. Judging from the lack of any vapour from the basin he guessed the water was also probably much colder than what would be comfortable.

He was frozen on the spot, the façade fading from his face only to be replaced with the fear he now fully felt being confronted with such a situation. Oh, how he wished Pepper was here to help him out. To him women had always been around to be used and discarded. He had never dealt with his own feelings and issues, let alone someone else's. He was about to approach Yinsen once more when he heard the sloshing of water in the basin. Mia had shifted around and was working the object in her hand more vigorously against her skin only this time under the surface of the water. He winced and tried hard not to think of what she was doing and how much it would hurt her. He didn't want to care but he was rooted in place and couldn't' bring himself to wake Yinsen. He watched her for a moment longer, tears coming to his eyes in empathy he didn't know he possessed before her crouched on her left side beside the basin.

Whispering so as to not disturb Yinsen he spoke with a voice he hoped was steadier than he felt. "Mia, what are you doing in there? It's the middle of the night and its freezing." He winced realizing his voice sounded angry even though he was only concerned.

There was no reaction from Mia who kept rubbing her skin and murmuring words he couldn't make out.

"Mia, stop what you're doing. Talk to me." He stood closer now, right over her and looked down horrified at what he was seeing. "What did you do?" His sentence trailed off in shock at the sight of bright red patches of skin that looked like they'd been sandblasted off.

It was then he realized she was talking, maybe answering his question. "What was that? I can't hear you. Why don't you come out and we can talk by the fire and warm up?" His words came out quickly due to his worry and he winced when he realized he was worried for her. He was not going to let himself get attached. Not to Yinsen and not to Mia.

Tony crouched down again and this time gently touched her elbow. He was surprised when she jerked and started murmuring louder. "I can't get him off of me, I can't get clean…."

Tony's eyes widened at the confirmation of what he and Yinsen had suspected but never spoke of aloud. The very thought of something so heinous as one person forcing themselves on another sickened them to the marrow of their bones. Tony's heart sank to his belly but flopped and clenched all at the same time bringing him feelings of anger, hate, sorrow, sympathy and more he didn't even know how to process so he pushed them all aside except for the one emotion he needed right now. "Shhh...It's over now, I'll protect you and so will Yinsen, you aren't alone anymore." He reached over slowly and pried the object from her hand, hoping he didn't hurt her in the process and flung it to the floor like it might bite him. He then moved his hand to a plug on the outside of the basin so that the water seeped out into a rusty drainage hole in the dirt. The eerie red water swirled away while he was speaking to Mia, doing his best not to wrap her up and hold her to him, knowing he'd only make things worse. He settled instead for a warm hand on her elbow to let her know he was there. "Listen this isn't my thing, talking with a woman, but you can't stay in there. The water may not be clean and you're going to ruin all of Yinsen's hard work. What if you get sick or your wounds get infected?"

Mia didn't move, she continued to sob while still rubbing the heels of her now empty hands into her already damaged skin.

"Why can't I stop feeling him on me? I just want it to stop." Mia sobbed. "I can't get him off."

"Shh...it's OK, we can fix this he continued to sooth, this time while wrapping her in a ragged towel, relieved when she didn't struggle when her moved her close by the shoulders to share some of his warmth. He was in part soothing himself as well as her, not sure how to deal with the situation he found himself in. The shock of cold against his thin shirt caused him to tense briefly but he didn't let go and did his best to rub his hands up and down her arms without aggravating her wounds until her shaking calmed.

After what seemed like quite some time he stood on shaky legs. "I'm just going to get Yinsen." The adrenaline and fear fading fast now that Mia had calmed a bit Tony felt weary and older than his forty odd years but he didn't let that stop his frantic movements. He clamored over to the fire to wake the other man but his words prior to leaving her side had fallen on deaf ears as Mia was lost in her thoughts or memories.

Tony crouched by Yinsen to nudge him awake but there was no need; the older man had already woken from the commotion. "You need to get up, quick." Tony spoke with urgency and knew his voice was less than steady.

Yinsen was immediately on alert, startled by the strained voice. "Stark, what is wrong?"

"It's Mia, something's wrong, I don't know what to do. Grab whatever medical supplies you have, she's at the wash basin." With that he went back to the basin, a scratchy and smelly but warm blanket in his hands to add to replace the thin towel he'd dried her with.

"Mia? I'm going to get you out and by the fire now, Yinsen's right there and he'll fix you up." He took off the towel quickly and trying not to look, wrapped her in the blanket he'd brought over and did his best to set her tightly in it. He picked her up and was still surprised at how light she was, even wet and set her down by the fire gently. He tucked in the blanket around her until she looked like she'd been swaddled in a cocoon. He looked over to Yinsen hoping to find some answers but after an odd look and a moment of pause Yinsen was in motion, quickly ordering Tony around and then examining, cleaning and bandaging the distraught woman who was still trapped in her waking nightmare.

Once he was finished he got some tea going and sat on a cot pulled away from the fire, giving Mia some space and privacy, Yinsen was putting away his supplies and looking over at her, a puzzled look on his face. Mia sensed his gaze but kept staring at her lap, hands clenched tightly in her lap.

"I can't get clean…" Mia started. "I can't stop reliving what they did to me, how it felt, how much it hurt. I can feel his tongue licking my neck, his hot breath in my ear. Oh God! I can't stop feeling it over and over; I can't get him off of me! I know why they put me here but I can't….I won't go back to them either. What am I supposed to do Yinsen?! "She started sobbing hysterically; Tony stayed back not understanding why he felt short of breath like he'd been punched in the gut. He was at a loss of what to do so he stood like a statue in the background and let Yinsen help Mia where he could not.

Mia sobbed quietly, now hugging her knees to her chest. Tony wanted to protect her, keep her away from their tormentors and make them pay for what they had done to her. He sorted out the strongest emotion he now felt and was familiar with. Hot anger boiled deep in his belly at her mistreatment and his eyes were moist with sorrow but he tried to quell it because he was Tony Stark! Tony Stark is a player; he breaks hearts and doesn't apologize. This slip of a woman was affecting him the way no other woman before had and it scared him so, he did his best to focus on his anger and channel everything else into that one blazing emotion.

Yinsen looked over at Tony and made his way over. He had watched the torrent of emotions washing across the man's face, pleased that Tony finally seemed to be growing up and taking and interest in someone other than himself. He just wished it was under better circumstances.

The sobs were now quiet and Yinsen gave him a gentle push towards Mia but he tore himself away and further back. Yinsen, not expecting the anger, fell to the ground from the force of the other man's retreat. Jarred back to the moment, Tony went to Yinsen and pulled him back up.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. I feel like I don't know anything anymore, I don't even know where I am. This isn't my world, my life. Tell me what to do Yinsen. What can I do for her, for us, for anyone? I'm trapped in a hell of my own making and I don't know what to do anymore." He sounded tired and defeated but Yinsen knew Tony Stark would not so easily be done with.

Mia wasn't the only one who needed comfort in that moment and he motioned Tony to join Mia by the fire. Tony wasn't stupid, he was flawed and human, sometimes foolish but still human and like any other he needed to comfort and be comforted.

When Tony finally sat next to Mia by the fire, she closed the gap between their bodies and latched onto his arm, her head just below his shoulder. He allowed her to take the comfort she needed before slowly untangling himself and then wrapping his arm around her, making sure to go slowly and let her know what he was doing. She shifted a bit beside him before settling again and then he held her and took comfort in her and she from him as they held each other close.

After a few moments he thought she might have fallen asleep but her hand began tracing the contour of the plate in his chest. Yinsen chose this moment to move closer to the fire and join his cell mates.

"Tony, what's under your shirt? I think it's humming." She had a bad feeling about what might be under his shirt and a time in the caves when she was mad with fear came to the forefront of her thoughts as she waited for his response.

"It's a small arc reactor; it's regulating my heart and keeping the shrapnel in there from killing me until I can get to a proper hospital to have it removed." He said it matter of fact, not sure she would even know what an arc reactor was, but it was still new to him and he didn't want to elaborate because he didn't think he would ever be completely comfortable with it.

"What happened?" Asked Mia, allowing her curiosity to distract her.

"I was showing off my latest weapon, the Jericho Missile to the American Army, probably not too far from here and there must have been a leak regarding the demonstration. After closing the deal, I was headed back to the plane that would take me home when my convoy got ambushed by an RPG or bomb of some kind. Got a chest full of shrapnel as a souvenir as the only survivor and wham! Here I am. I would have died, but Yinsen stuck an electro magnet into my chest and attached it to a car battery to keep the shrapnel he couldn't get at away from my heart. It kept me alive long enough to get set up here and learn what I'm supposed to do. Once I had the supplies I made this new chest piece. If my math is right, and it always is, I should be good to go for the rest of my life."

Mia was horrified with what Tony had gone through and a brush with madness during her captivity which came to her in flashes during her dreams now made a bit more sense. She knew what had been done to keep him alive because she had been a part of it.

She hadn't elaborated to Yinsen or Tony about exactly why she had been captured and kept alive but instead had allowed them to come up with their own explanations. The truth was that she had a special gift. The news over the last year before she'd found herself captive had been ablaze with speculation about a new species of humans called 'mutants'. They were people who seemed to be genetically inclined to be different, either physically in appearance and, or with some sort of power like super strength or speed. She didn't know much about it at all really but wondered if she herself might be one since she also had a power. It wasn't speed or strength but what she could do was heal. She could transfer a wound from another person or any living creature in fact to herself where it would hurt of course but would also heal at an accelerated rate and leave no remaining aches or scars.

At first, when she discovered her power she was compelled to heal everyone she could because she could feel the pain of injured parties who were in proximity to her. Healing them would literally help her feel better. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't that easy to fix everyone and everything.

A cat playing with its injured prey outside her bedroom window, an elderly neighbor recovering from hip replacement surgery, a stranger on her way to school with aching knees or a sore back, slipped disc, etc. It was impossible to help everyone and even if she somehow managed to introduce herself she couldn't straight up ask them if she could 'heal' them. It was a nightmare for her around the clock. She was depressed in her final year of high school but hid it well and eventually, she was able to block the pain so that it was just a dim feeling in the background. Only the occasional major injury would affect her before she adapted to that too or physically distanced herself from it.

Her power was the real reason she'd been kept around the caves. Against her will, over and over again she'd been made to heal soldiers or those they tortured until she couldn't and passed out. She eventually had lapsed into a semi-conscious state into which everything blended and got mixed up together until one day she was roused from unconsciousness by a pain so sudden and severe she could hardly breathe.

Her chest was on fire but icy cold at the same time. Her muscles felt as if they were being torn until the bone underneath was bare and then that too was broken. She spasmed and tried to scream but the pain in her chest was so severe that her lungs didn't even seem to be working.

Trapped in what seemed to be eternal damnation she had no where to escape to when she was grabbed by a soldier and dragged to a steel table with a body on it. The pain intensified so much she couldn't breathe at all and spots swam in her vision until a kick to her back forced her to fall to the ground face first and compressed her lungs. She felt a prick in her neck and then understood what she was to do.

Mad with pain and disoriented she only recalled vague details about the body, or person on the table and now with Tony's words, she knew finally, what she'd done and a wave of different emotions cascaded over and into her, drowning all sound and taking her breath away.

Mistaking her stillness of breath for something different Yinsen spoke up hoping to steer the conversation to Mia as a distraction as she laid her hand flat on the circle in Tony's chest.

Yinsen having been curious and having not had the chance to learn much about Mia chose this moment to speak. "How did you come to be here Mia?"

Mia didn't move her head from Tony's chest, her head still reeling and processing the information she'd just received. She had been enjoying the comfort he was offering but now she didn't think she deserved it. Not after what she'd done to him.

She spoke with indifference after sitting up and shrugging Tony's arm off her shoulders. Staring at a spot on the ground without moving, she spoke.

"I'm 27 and I just finished college for the fourth time. I never did figure out what I wanted to study so I just took some generic courses figuring I could work odd jobs here and there while I figured things out. Money was tight and there was so much I wanted to study I didn't know where to start. My family is loving but kind of dysfunctional, but what family isn't in some way? Anyways….guidance was something I could have used growing up but the lack of it kept me pretty unfocused I think. I wanted to study everything but was low on resources so I did what I could on my own."

Tony rested his chin on the top of his hand as she spoke while Yinsen sipped some stale but hot tea. It was nearly time to start working again, but this was also a good opportunity to talk.

"I wanted to help people, I have a gift and I wanted to share it. I didn't know how I'd go about it but charity work seemed nice. I always volunteered for all sorts of events and even participated in some runs to raise money for some causes. I'm not religious or anything but my father is and he told me about some missionaries from his church going to Africa to help those in need. I talked with them and they were more than happy to let me join them for a while. I thought I'd try it for a year or something. You know... get away, travel the world and help those in need." She took a sip of some tea that was now in front of her before continuing. Yinsen must have placed it there at some point without her noticing.

"The plane that had been chartered had some problems with the fuel tank and had to land in Pakistan for repairs. It wasn't the safest place to be, especially for the women so everyone stayed close to the plane until news arrived that another group of missionaries had run into some sort of trouble on the border with Afghanistan.

We'd just arrived and they grabbed us just before we had a chance to do anything. " Mia paused, having trouble with her emotions. Talking about what happened made it seem like it was happening all over again. She felt Tony give her hand an encouraging squeeze. She took a deep breath and continued.

"The missionaries were older, mostly empty nesters. They were shot right on the spot; the bodies were left where they fell. They tried to hide me from view but our transport hadn't arrived yet and once they fell there wasn't anywhere for me to hide. I was in shock and froze on the spot. I thought they were going to shoot me, I couldn't even breathe. I started seeing spots in my vision and suddenly a bunch of men came at me, they were yelling and I didn't understand what they wanted, the last thing I remember was a smelly, scratchy and dark bag being pulled over my head. I think I passed out and when I woke up I was here, and after a while I eventually met Yinsen."

Yinsen nodded and looked at Tony, both could tell there was more to her story but they stayed silent as they too had things they'd rather not discuss or share.

Mia was emotionally drained after telling her story and the events of the morning. Her shivers had stopped now and she felt a bit lighter somehow. She was glad she had talked.

Tony breathed deeply before shifting on his seat and got up to work, his back facing her. He couldn't look her in the face, hiding the shame he felt for creating the weapons that gave power to the Ten Rings but spoke clearly. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. No one should experience what you did, especially when all you wanted to do was help. When we get out of here you can put this behind you. Why don't I get you back to the cot and Yinsen can check you over again make sure your OK. If we're going to get away I need to work."

"OK, but first... may I see the reactor in your chest?" Tony was about to decline, but she moved herself around to face him and looked up at his eyes. He could see understanding, acceptance, a crushing curiosity in her eyes and…was that guilt he was seeing? What did she have to feel guilty about? He could also see anger in there but it wasn't for her pain, it was for his and what he had been through. Without knowing why he was doing it, he lifted his shirt out of the way and she traced the edges of the reactor where it met his skin. Her light touch sent pleasant warmth though him and if he didn't know better he'd say the constant ache around his arc reactor where the metal met his skin was feeling better.

The surgery that Yinsen has performed on him when he was first brought in was hurried and performed with a dull knife. As a result, he had a constant ache around the plating of the reactor where it met his skin but for some reason it seemed to have vanished when Mia touched his chest.

Looking down at her, their eyes met and they blushed when they noticed how close they had become.

Yinsen turned away pretending to be occupied with something. Mia, slowly and stiffly walked back to the cot without another word or look back at Tony.

Yinsen came over but after checking her wounds for only a few moments he turned sharply to look at her and spoke in a harsh whisper. Mia immediately shrank back and closed her eyes, expecting the worst.

"I do not know how you really came to be here or how you fooled me as you did but all the wounds I see now are fresh, the ones you had only a day ago are almost completely healed. No wounds should have healed as yours did." Looking at Mia's face he could tell he was onto something.

"Are you a spy placed here with false injuries to keep an eye on us? Was it just a twisted game for you to make us feel sympathy towards you? Some sort of emotional torture?" He grabbed her wrist and started to rise.

"You are leaving here right now, I'm going to go and call the guards you are not wanted here, they will take care of you before you manage to utter a word, your petty tricks will not hinder us." Yinsen was about to stand but Mia had grabbed his sleeve in a grip so tight the worn fabric looked about ready to tear and the smallest move.

Mia's eyes were wide with fright and her mouth was opening and closing but no words were coming out. When Yinsen tried to move again she spoke. "Wait, don't…. I'll…I'll tell you what you want to know but no matter what you think of me, I am not a spy for the monsters that put us here." A quick look at Tony showed that he was busy pounding something on the anvil and Mia motioned for Yinsen to sit nearby where she wouldn't be overheard.

"I'll tell you everything but please keep it to yourself. It won't jeopardize whatever plans you already have but it's personal to me so please, keep it to yourself." Looking at Tony and seeing he was busy Yinsen gave a curt nod, his attitude cool towards Mia.

"Let me hear what you have to say and when you are done I will decide if Tony needs to be told. If I feel you are truthful and the information is indeed pertaining only to yourself I will keep your words in confidence. I will look over your wounds while you speak so that Tony does not suspect something out of the ordinary."

"I think that's the best I could hope for so here it goes. I wasn't lying when I told you about how I was captured, but there is more to the story, the real reason why I was spared and kept captive instead of being killed with the others." Mia did not look at Yinsen and kept her gaze on the floor, ceiling, a wall…anywhere to avoid his gaze.

"I said I had a 'gift' for helping people…" Yinsen nodded to indicate he remembered her stating that earlier. "For some, it's medical skills, or empathy, even sharing their religion. For me…my gift…. it's healing others." Glancing at Yinsen and seeing his confusion she held up her hand before he could speak and she continued.

"I'm not a doctor and I don't know how or why but I can literally heal physical wounds on others with a touch. I can feel their pain, I'm led to it. When I find them I only need to lay my hands on them and I take their wounds away…I take them onto myself. That's my gift…my curse. Whatever the wound…if it doesn't immediately kill me, it will stay on my body where it will heal at an accelerated rate but be no less painful or prone to infection. Proper nutrition will accelerate it further but as long as I don't sustain the injury directly it will heal faster than what's considered normal.

When the plane I was on first landed in Karachi, I saw a wounded man on the side of a road….he had a bullet wound in his arm, the bullet had passed through. He was delirious from other injuries as well and in so much pain, I didn't think he was too aware of his surroundings and so I healed him thinking he would never remember what happened so I'd be safe. I guess I was wrong and somehow word got around the city and eventually to our captors.

They've been holding me here since they captured me and using me to heal their wounded and their prisoners. They torture them to the brink of death, and then I'm brought in to heal them so that the torture can continue. Usually I just pass out from the pain or the lack of food and water but the last time they injected me with something, it burned in my veins while I did what they told me to until I couldn't anymore. They became angry and instead of tossing me into the hole they usually kept me in they…. they made use of me another way. I was hurting so much, I didn't know it would be possible to feel more pain but I never once passed out and was very much aware as they proved me wrong. Whatever they injected me with kept me awake and aware long after I had passed my endurance threshold.

After that, I ended up in here…you know the rest. Do whatever you want with what I told you, but if you tell the guards to come for me I won't go back to them alive. I won't let them use me anymore." Mia's eyes were red with suppressed tears as she lay down on the cot and faced away from Yinsen.

Although the tale seemed farfetched, Yinsen could not fully doubt her story when the proof was written onto her body. The wounds he had treated from the time she was first tossed in with them were almost fully healed only some faint pink scarring visible where the worst of the wounds had been. He decided to keep her secret for the time being, understanding in part why she had not shared her story at first but suspecting there was more to tell.

The examination of her injuries was long done at this point and although he had initially been shocked at the damage she caused herself he knew it was not uncommon of rape victims and if she was being truthful, what she had gone though was nothing short of torture. Some severe cases of rape had even led to suicide back home in his village. He hoped that would not be the case here. Hopefully both she and Tony would keep each other's spirits up long enough for them to make an escape.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The cheap construction lights hummed loudly in the near silence of the cavern as its occupants quietly and quickly ate their first meal of the day. They were ignorant of the actual time but Yinsen assured them that his watch with the broken face was close to the actual time, perhaps off only by an hour. Mia was moving around, cleaning or organizing as needed, glad to have something to do. It had been three days now since she'd joined Tony and Yinsen in their area of the cave and a routine was beginning to form as Mia healed and was able to move around a bit more.

Compared to the holes she'd been thrown in; the cavern was comfortable for her and she kept reminding herself of that fact every time anxiety swept into her mind in order to function as best she could.

She'd been captured by men, brutalized by men, betrayed by men and now she was in closed quarters with two men. The situation was less than ideal but she knew from experience that things could be worse. Much worse.

Tony and Yinsen were good men, not like the ones who had hurt her both emotionally and physically. They too were captives, on the other side of the door from where those who hurt her stood guard, keeping them in against their will. Despite all her rationalizing deep down she still had doubts and fears which caused her hands to shake or her breathing to become ragged and shallow. She kept the anxiety at bay by again reminding herself that her situation was much improved sharing a space with Tony and Yinsen. She would repeat series of things in her head that had almost become a mantra for her at this point.

'Three days with access to food and water. Three days without being manhandled to an injured person to heal. Three days without being touched without consent. Three days of light. Three days of conversation. Three days…'

She would keep telling herself these things so that even though she was still a captive, her situation was improved from before. The food and water may have been dirty and nearly rotten but it was better than the scraps she'd been given at irregular intervals before. The water was also available to clean with when the dust and dirt of the cave caked their skin. It was cold and there was no privacy but a wet rag was better than nothing.

In the cell she was sharing, not once had she been taken away to heal someone. There were plenty of shouts and cries on the other side of the door but they sounded small and far away.

After her initial capture by the Ten Rings, she'd been kept in small spaces with no light and almost not enough room to lie down. Often, she'd slept sitting up and curled against a rocky wall in the dark. She couldn't see the injuries she felt on her body due to the lack of light and there was never an absence of scratching sounds all around but the source of the sounds eluded her and maybe she was better off not seeing what creatures were making the sounds that made her feel itchy all over.

It had been a terrifying ordeal and she had lost track of time often, not sure if she'd been there for minutes or hours before a dark figure would pull her up and away. Disoriented and frightened she'd often tried to pull away, her own screams of fright filling her ears but the figure pulling her was always indifferent to her pleas.

A cot or pile of rags for sleeping after a long day was better than the cold and unyielding ground. Day or night, the ground had always been so cold that many times she'd woken up shivering and feeling the chill of the ground deep in her bones.

The cavern had a string of construction lights above which Tony always complained about and a fire within. The fire was contained in a kiln or furnace for metal work which she'd see Tony using regularly to manufacture some part or another. Both Tony and Yinsen had been very secretive about what it was they were working on in the cave and Mia hadn't asked, trusting that the men would share with her when they were ready. One thing she knew for certain was that they were not making weapons for their captives. No matter what type of missile was being created, there was no way it needed a plate like one Tony was cooling off in a bucket of water. Other pieces were scattered around seemingly like junk but as she was organizing she glanced at the supposedly random pieces and saw what could only be described as pieces belonging to a suit of armor.

After being treated and given food and water regularly, the injuries she had when she first arrived were all but gone, the only injuries remaining were those which she herself had inflicted not long ago and even those weren't feeling too bad. If Tony suspected something odd about Mia healing so quickly he didn't say anything, absorbed as he was in his work

Without knowing what it was Tony was creating there was little else she could do but clean, organize and help with the cooking. She'd also tasked herself with ensuring both men kept hydrated and she would use the wash basin to clean their clothes to keep them clear from mites and when that was done she would prepare the bath water so that they could keep clean as possible. Bathing was the last thing on anyone's mind but Yinsen had insisted that they indulge or risk disease carrying fleas and mites. The bath was prepared by heating some water in a large pot on the fire and mixing it with some cool water from the spigot. It was all tiring work, but it kept Mia from getting too depressed thinking about what had happened and what could still happen. Instead she was thinking about how domestic this all felt and she wondered if someday she would be tasked with similar chores which she'd share with a husband and children. Would she live long enough to find out?

*0*0*0*0*

On the other side of the desert was a very different looking area of land, gated off from its surroundings with multiple sentries posted around the perimeter of barbed wire fences. They donned uniforms bearing the American flag and stood on guard seriously, fully aware of their surroundings while holding their weapons, loaded and ready should an enemy appear. There was one main building with a helipad on the roof and smaller modular units scattered around. Everyone was on high alert because they were located in an active war zone. This is where one Lieutenant James Rhodes of the Marine Corps was staring at a screen on the wall and talking alternatively into a phone and a separate headpiece coordinating the search for Tony Stark, his best friend.

Early in his career, his first tour had been in Southeast Asia as a combat pilot. He'd gone down behind enemy lines and stranded in the jungle after his helicopter was shot down by a rocket. He never forgot the hopelessness he'd felt after the adrenaline had run out and his only options were to run or hide, waiting for a chance to sabotage the enemy. He'd had his training to fall back on and was able to withstand the harsh conditions but Tony Stark was an untrained civilian not just lost but captured by the enemy.

Trained soldiers suffered PTSD after serving their country. POWs suffered severely due to mistreatment and sometimes torture at the hands of their enemies and sometimes broke under the pressure to provide intel.

Tony Stark was not a soldier and had no training regarding torture, captivity or keeping secrets from those who fought to extract it.

After the convoy had been ambushed, Rhodey been knocked unconscious and taken for dead. Everyone in the 'Fun-vee' as Tony had called it had been killed or in Tony's case taken but those in the other vehicle at the rear had been spared when their vehicle bounced around like a toy on a trampoline and landed on its roof. All the occupants inside had been knocked out except for the driver who'd been thrown but miraculously survived with only superficial wounds.

Rhodey had been unconscious for the better part of a day and had to stay under supervision for another due to a severe concussion. Once he'd been discharged and debriefed his task had been to find his best friend, dead or alive he wanted to know what had happened to Tony. He fought tooth and nail not to be sent back to America and had insisted on staying in Afghanistan to coordinate and help with the search. He wanted to be the first to see his friend, in whatever state he was to be found in. He prayed every day that it would be alive and well but he knew that even if Tony was to be found alive, his friend would have deep scars, not all of them would be physical.

The American government had agreed that someone with Tony Stark's knowledge of weaponry could not fall into enemy hands and so the search for the playboy millionaire was on.

With every passing day, the chances of finding Tony alive decreased but his best friend would not be deterred and kept searching.

*0*0*0*0*

There was a wristwatch propped up near the fire, the face was broken but it seemed to keep time. Another day had ended in the cell within a network of caves. There had been no interruptions from their captors and the three cellmates were sitting around the fire, tired from another hard day working. Mia rose carefully from her spot on the dirt to put the mugs away when Tony jumped up quickly and kept Mia from moving too much.

"Tony, I know I'm hot but not while the roommate is here." Mia stated sarcastically, hiding her discomfort behind the bad joke.

When there was no witty reply and Tony hadn't moved, Mia became concerned and turned to face him but not feeling confident enough to make eye contact she stared down at the glowing circle in his chest.

"Mia, are you feeling OK, not in any pain are you?" Had she been looking she would have noticed the genuine concern in his eyes.

Wanting to be released and feeling puzzled Mia answered his question. "I'm not in any more pain than usual, why? Is something wrong?" Her shoulders were trembling due to anxiety as Tony kept her still, hands on her shoulders.

Tony looked to where Mia had been sitting; Yinsen and Mia also turned their gaze, looking to see what had Tony worried.

The dirt floor where she had been sitting had blood on it. Mia relaxed immediately and Yinsen also let out a relieved sigh, but Tony only became more agitated.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys? Mia you could be hemorrhaging!" He moved to pick her up, but she stopped him. Mia was relieved and mortified at the same time. She shook free of Tony's arms and made her way to the toilet but Tony wouldn't have it. He was about to grab her again when Yinsen's voice stopped him.

"Tony, leave her be, she will be fine."

"How is bleeding fine?!"

Yinsen sighed and held the bridge of his nose. Tony Stark truly was clueless about the other sex. "She is a woman, it is normal when one is not with child."

Tony's eyes widened as realization finally kicked in. He turned around to give her some privacy, also embarrassed about the situation. "Oh! I knew that."

Mia did the best she could with what was available, embarrassed and not sure how she was going to continue for the next few days. On the plus side; it was a very big plus, she wasn't pregnant.

Since recovering from her first rape, one of her biggest concerns was pregnancy. She had briefly discussed the issue with Yinsen, wondering if he could do anything for her. He'd shook his head to the negative and they had to wait and see but he had warned her that malnutrition may also cause her body not to release and egg. Now she was mortified at the audience but was mostly glad an unwanted pregnancy wasn't going to happen.

Glancing back at the men, still embarrassed she made her way to the cot for the night and gingerly lay down, doing her best not to agitate any wounds that were still healing.

Mia was roused from her brief slumber by the loud sound of the cell door being opened harshly, the solid metal hitting the cave wall behind it with a bang. There was yelling and quick shuffling as she noticed Tony and Yinsen were also bleary eyed and doing their best to line themselves near the door and place their hands behind their heads quickly.

The second in command was among the guards and spoke up telling Yinsen to translate.

"Why have you not made use of the woman? If you do not want her I will take her back now."

Two guards stepped forward for Mia. Her breath had frozen in her lungs and she scurried away from the guards. She was backed against a wall when Tony yelled.

"I want her! Leave her here! I want her..." The repetition was more to himself than anything else.

Yinsen's translation was more polite but the point was made.

Looking at Mia in a way that made Tony and Yinsen cringe he spoke. "Our leader will be back in two weeks' time. You have until then to finish the missile."

The second in command looked around the cell, nodded to his guards and they lunged at Mia dragging her kicking and screaming. Without thinking Tony ran at the guards to grab Mia, his hand reaching out to her. The guard turned around, smashed the butt of his gun into Tony's gut and kicked him away with his foot. Tony was getting ready to try again but Mia had found her voice.

"Stop! Don't get hurt over me! I'll... I'll be fine, don't worry." Mia hoped she sounded more convincing than she felt as she let herself be dragged away, the door slamming shut behind her as the group left.

Tony ran to the door and started banging, demanding that Mia be returned. His heart was in his throat, beating faster and feeling heavier than he ever thought it could.

After a few minutes of banging on the door a guard opened the slot on the top, yelled something and turned away.

"What did he say? Did he mention what they did with Mia"?

Yinsen was standing, eyes wide staring at the door. "They noticed while they were here that she was bleeding. They will return her when it has passed. Until then we are to continue working."

"But where did they take her? Are they going to put her in another cell? Tell me she'll be OK. I don't panic Yinsen but this might be an exception. How the hell am I supposed to work while they do who knows what to Mia out there!" Tony was waving his arm for emphasis as he stood facing Yinsen, eyes wide in panic.

"You will work because it is the only hope that any of us have of getting out of here. We will see Mia again. In their culture, when a woman is menstruating they are considered dirty and must be kept separated from the men. No one will touch her and she will most likely be left alone for the duration. She will be fine as long as they feed her." Yinsen wasn't certain if what he said was completely true, but Tony had to focus as they only had two weeks left. If they didn't finish and execute their plan soon, being separated would be the least of their worries.

A missile was not what they were building. What they were creating was something Yinsen never would have conceived. The plan Tony devised for their escape was like something out of a comic book. A suit of weaponized armor to be donned by Tony Stark himself as he clears the path to escape from within. Even flight capability had been designed into the 500 pound monstrosity they were creating.

The timeline to completion was getting frantic and if Mia was returned, she would need to be brought into the fold as to not hinder the plan. She had spent her day cooking and cleaning like a housemaid and both men knew she was capable of more and had to be involved in the plan if they were going to be successful.

*0*0*0*0*

Dragged around another corner, doing her best to keep her legs and feet under her to walk, instead of being painfully dragged Mia was thrown into a room occupied with other women. They looked native to the country and spoke no English but all had a haunted look in their eyes that Mia knew she'd see in her own if she looked in a mirror. With her limited language skills she learned that they were young girls and women who were captured as sex slaves.

The women provided her with some clean traditional garb and a hijab for her head. They also gave her some hygiene products for her bleeding.

This was a room more than the cell she was in with Tony and Yinsen. There were worn but soft cushions scattered about, proper washing facilities and a small space heater for the cold nights. It was almost cozy if you ignored the cold dank air and the fact that almost everyone in the space had a scared look in their eyes and showed various injuries all over their bodies. An area to the back was secluded with a propped up piece of sheet metal like a divider and Mia was curious about what was behind it. There wasn't much to do and she was about to approach the area in question when the guards burst in, threw a dusty bag over her head and dragged her away again. It seemed the room was just a pit stop for her.

She was wrestled into another room where the bag on her head was removed and she coughed in an attempt to clear her lungs of the dust from the bag. There wasn't much to look at in this new room as It was about the size of a small closet with the only light coming from the currently open door. There were some rags on the floor, far from clean and heavily stained with who knows what. This wasn't her first time in such a space and even though she knew it was futile, she turned around to push her way out. A swift donkey kick in the gut winded her and pushed her to the back wall. The guards closed the door while she struggled to recover and she was left in a dark so deep that no matter how much time passed or how many times her eyes blinked, everything was still the blackest black.

She was trapped...she couldn't see anything, not even her own hands but she could hear and what she heard was something or some things crawling. She remained standing as long as she could in order to avoid the dirty rags on the ground, constantly rubbing her hands on her body to get the itchy, crawling feeling off of her. It felt like she had been there for hours. Her feet, knees and shins ached, her still healing body was fatigued and she didn't think anyone would be feeding her. Eventually exhaustion overtook her and she lay down on the dirty rags the best she could and slept.

She woke up numerous times, always in a panic when she couldn't see anything. It took her a few moments to remember where she was. She still ached all over and she was cold, thirsty and hungry. The minutes turned to hours and after what felt like an eternity, a guard opened the door placed the bag on her head and again took her to the room with the other women.

The low lights of the room burned her eyes and she closed them to stop the tears. A cup was pressed into her hand and she drank greedily from it, all the while wincing at the dimness of the room which seemed brighter than the sun to her at the mooment.

She tried to ask how much time had passed since she was last in the room, but none of the women would speak with her. They fed her, helped her stay clean, and then she was once more bagged and thrown into the dark.

She couldn't think anymore. Didn't know how long she had been taken in and out of the dark. She talked to herself, repeating poems, songs, phrases and jokes over and over again. She eventually stopped talking and just slept, waking only when she visited the room with the women.

She had no idea how long it had been since she had last seen Tony or Yinsen. She hoped they were still alive and doing better than her. She had heard of sensory deprivation and its detrimental effects over a prolonged period of time but the sounds of critters around the small cell constantly had her scratching at her skin and having nightmares about them crawling all over her.

After what she assumed was the third day, the visits to the other room all blended together, she tried to keep track assuming that she was going there once a day. If that was right today would be the sixth visit. With that thought she closed her eyes and slept once more. She no longer tried to talk with anyone, nor did she have the strength to fight he guards every time they came to drag her to the other room and back. The seclusion and lack of food and water had taken their toll and she felt like a puppet with no strings.

It felt like she had just closed her eyes when the guards took her but this time they didn't place a bag on her head. She closed her eyes tightly against the lighting of the cave while she was dragged away and down a familiar hall.

A door was opened and she expected to be in the room with the women again, thinking she must be wrong about the hall looking familiar. She was thrown in as was the usual, landing on her knees but instead of the guards leaving, something hard was shoved onto the back of her head and there was angry shouting from all around her.

She tried to open her eyes ignoring the tears caused by the lighting. She ended up squinting but, shifting her eyes sideways she could see a figure crouched down, his head on a surface of sorts. Someone had a glowing coal held by a clamp; they brought it to the crouched figure.

"I need him, he helps me work! I need him!" She thought that was Tony's voice. What was going on?

Before she could come to a conclusion the pressure behind her head was lifted and then there was a sharp and sudden pain blossoming on her head. The last thing she heard was the sound of feet shuffling out the door before darkness overtook her.

She was rubbing her eyes, trying to relieve the burning sensation when someone ran toward her and she felt hands on her shoulders.

She panicked and shoved away, falling off the cot and landing painfully on her tailbone.

"Hey, hey... it's just me...Tony." His voice was gentle. "I'm here with Yinsen; you're back in the cell with us. Looks like you got yourself a new wardrobe; they have a mall in here?" The humor sounded forced but it was a comforting thing to hear after having only herself to listen and talk to for the last several days.

She looked around, blinked, not believing her eyes. Her arms had been wrapped in dirty gauze and she had a throbbing headache. She took some deep breaths as her eyes finally adjusted to the dimly lit cave; there was Tony, squatting on the floor in front of her. He was smirking awkwardly and openly observing her, trying to see if she had any injuries. Yinsen was to his side, on his knees also looking at her. She felt like she was under a microscope and squirmed in discomfort at the unwanted attention.

Moving so that she was sitting somewhat more comfortably on the floor where she'd fallen she opened her mouth to say hi but it came out broken and more watery than intended. Before she knew it she was sobbing.

"I'm so hap-happy to be back, I didn't think I'd ever see you guys again." She hugged herself not too eager to be touched but so relieved to be back she had trouble stringing a sentence together.

"No-no one t-talked to me. It was dark, so, so dark and q-q-quiet except for the bugs."

She looked so broken and alone on the floor; Tony moved closer to her and gathered her up in his arms. He half expected to get hit and was surprised when it didn't happen.

She was practically emaciated and he frowned when her sharp bones dug into him but he didn't let go. Yinsen also came over and placed a hand on her shoulder for support and at the same time reassuring himself that she was indeed back with them.

They stayed like that on the floor until her sobs quieted and turned to the occasional hiccup.

Tony was shocked at how poorly she was treated compared to them. At least they had food and water…well…sustenance of some sort anyways. According to Yinsen, the leader would be back in one week expecting his missile to be completed and as they had been informed upon Mia's return the second in command would be back for Mia even sooner.

"Tony...did you join a gym in here while I was away? Must be exclusive for big egos only." Yinsen stood up and Tony loosened his grip a little, not realizing how hard he'd been squeezing her. Both men were glad she still had her sense of humor.

"Did you diet again? I was starting to think I'd lost my coat rack."

Mia looked up at him, her eyes watery but happy.

"We actually have an exercise bike now, we pedal to generate power in small quantities. You can use it when you're up to it but Yinsen wants to check you over real quick now that you're awake. You need to keep in shape for the great escape. Yinsen got us the bike and I turned it into the awesome device you see there."

Tony pointed to the 'exercise bike' which was a rusty street bike with the tires removed. It had been rigged to provide power to a small battery which had a laptop plugged into it.

"You two have work to do if we're going to get out of here. You can stop showing off your new muscles Tony." Mia had a small grin on her face.

"Hey I've always been ripped. None of the ladies back home missed the fact. I'm hot and I know it baby." He waggled his eyebrow when he spoke the last word.

"She is right Tony; we do not have time to waste. Let us work a few more hours before our last meal for the day. We can talk then."

Tony cleared his throat and hastily rubbed at his eyes before also standing up. "Of course, you're right. We only have a week left." He turned to help Mia to her feet but she waved him off.

"If it's OK, I'd like to just sit here a bit longer. I'm fine; get back to whatever you were doing."

The men hesitantly got back to working on the suit that would help them escape while Mia watched them, a small smile on her face.

After a little while she stood shakily, walked to the spigot and drank her fill. She then lay down on her cot and slept.

She was woken up some time later by a terrible screaming. She didn't realize the screams were coming from her until Tony's voice cut through them and she saw him standing above her, sporting a set of fresh scratches on his cheek his hands on either side of her cot but not touching her.

Once she calmed down she dropped her feet to the side of the cot and sat up looking shaken. It was Yinsen that spoke first from behind Tony.

"You were in the throes of a nightmare, Tony tried to wake you."

She looked at Tony and was taken aback by how scared he looked. Was he afraid of her? Was she that terrible? Was she responsible for the new cuts on his face?

Her gaze must have shifted to the cuts, Tony spoke this time. "Don't worry about this little scratch. It doesn't even hurt."

Feeling terrible but accepting the invitation to avoid confrontation Mia replied in kind.

"Sorry I interrupted your beauty sleep. You both look like you can use it." The men chuckled and went back to their sleeping spots not wanting to think about what had just happened. All three of them had gone past their limits at this point and were barely holding themselves together. They could understand Mia's nightmare for they were also dealing with their own.

The three of them lay down and tried to rest. They had a lot of work to do in the coming days and time was quickly running out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sometime during the 'night' Mia had made her way off her cot and to Tony's side on the ground. She hadn't gotten very close to him but there was scarcely a foot between them. Yinsen had woken at her movement and watched as Mia sat beside Tony's head and placed her fingers lightly on the scratches on his face. He had never seen her approach any of them before and was curious as to what was going through her mind. His upmost concern was for Tony's safety as Mia had been through a lot and he didn't have the expertise to know what to expect in such a situation.

Mia traced the scratches lightly, her breathing slightly labored but otherwise OK. A serene expression that looked out of place in the cave graced her face.

After a few minutes Mia stood and returned to her cot only briefly glancing at Yinsen. Tony continued to slumber and Mia returned to her cot and turned her head toward the wide eyed Yinsen making sure he saw the fresh scratches on her cheek. She motioned for him to leave her alone and lay down to rest. Mia knew that whatever doubts Yinsen had about her were now gone. She had proven the unbelievable to him which she felt had to be done. If they were going to escape they had to trust each other completely and she couldn't have Yinsen doubting her.

Tony woke a few hours later, after Mia had healed his face and sent Yinsen reeling with surprise. He was feeling more refreshed and well rested than he ever remembered being, even prior to his captivity and walked to the fire with a bounce in his step. He made his way over to Yinsen who had already heated up some food. A quick look at Mia told him she was still resting and without thinking his hand went to his cheek when he remembered the night terror she had experienced during the night.

Tony's eyes widened when all he felt on his cheek was smooth, unbroken skin. She had drawn blood last night, he was sure of that so, why wasn't there a scab? He quickly took off to look in the broken piece of mirror Yinsen kept around for shaving and studied his face in disbelief. A hand on his shoulder broke him out of his reverie and he turned to face Yinsen.

"Do not worry Tony, It was just a shallow scratch which I'm sure hurt more than it should have due to the fact that it was on your face where the skin is sensitive. "

Tony didn't look convinced and he turned suspicious eyes on Yinsen. The man's eyes wandered to Mia who was beginning to stir and Tony decided that as long as it didn't interfere with his plans he would let Yinsen keep his secrets but once they were out his questions would be answered. The two men sat back down by the fire to finish their morning meal.

"I did not wish to say anything yesterday while Mia could hear but I suspect I know where she was held during her time away from here. If I am correct she is fortunate to have come back to us for many who have been there before her were driven mad."

"What are you talking about? She's a bit thin but seems otherwise fine. She was probably just scared not knowing what was going on."

"Oh Tony Stark, just as I thought you were growing up you slip back to your old way of looking at things. I think you need to open your eyes to the fact that Mia is not some woman you can do away with like the ones you have back at your home. I think she is stronger than you give her credit for. "

There are some rooms here, small and dank. They have no light and sound does not penetrate the door or walls. They are not large enough to hold even a cot, most have only dirt floors, but others may have scraps of cloth thrown about."

Tony who had finished his meal and was prepping the work area for the day turned to look at Yinsen. "Did you spend time in there?"

"I did not, but I treated a few 'infidels' who had been placed in there. They were grown men most of them, yet a few days in the dark, unable to stretch out to sleep, denied any human contact and most often denied food or drink they came out weak in both body and mind. I do not know if I would have come out whole after spending time in there."

Tony spared a glance to Mia who was still on her cot. "Sensory deprivation... I had no idea..." He had a look of wonder on his face. He didn't know how Mia had managed to stay strong. "Why would they do that to her?"

"We will probably never know and I doubt that Mia herself knows why but be glad you'll never experience it."

"Don't worry Tony, I don't think you'll ever have to worry about it. There's no way your giant ego would fit in any of those spaces." Mia rolled over and sat up to join Yinsen by the fire, ignoring the unreadable look on Tony's face as he followed her small frame from her cot to the fire.

Tony was about to retort but Mia interrupted his thoughts with her sarcasm. "Smells delicious."

Rolling his eyes, Tony got up and went to the work station to continue working on their escape. Time was running out and they couldn't afford the time to socialize this morning.

Yinsen held a cup out to her, a spoon sticking out of it. Mia reached for it, but Yinsen gently grabbed her hand before she could retract it. He traced the fresh lines on her arm, jagged and newly healing. He hadn't looked her over fully yesterday when she'd been returned to them but had hastily wrapped what wounds he could find with a cursory look.

He looked more closely now and frowned knowing that there would be obvious scarring from this injury like so many others on her body. He could tell by the look on her face and the small tug on her arm that she too didn't want a reminder of what she'd done to her arm in a moment of weakness. His eyes softened momentarily as he looked her in the eye while giving a small supportive squeeze to her arm before releasing her. She gave a small nod of acknowledgment and thanks to him before turning her face so he could see the now, unblemished skin. She knew it wasn't necessary but wanted to open up to him now that she'd confirmed he had no hostile suspicions about her. There was no sign of the scratches she had sported hours ago when she had sat beside Tony, touching his face.

Unbelievable as it may seem, Yinsen could only accept what Mia had told him about her gift. His mind was full of questions for her as he thought about what she could do and wondered why and how she could do it. His medical mind was racing with thoughts and ideas but the sound of a hammer hitting steel brought him back to his current reality and he forced his curiosity aside in favor of assisting Tony with their escape plan. Mia spoke quietly to him before he joined Tony.

"It helped me focus in the dark. The pain in my arm let me feel something other than the bugs in the cell. I didn't realize it had gotten this bad until I found myself here again but I had to know I existed otherwise I don't think I would have made it out of there...the rest….you already know."

Nodding his head, still having difficulty fully accepting her 'gift' he looked at Mia and said one thing out loud for Tony to hear and another with his eyes. "Well, it does not look infected and it is healing on its own. If you feel up to it, why don't you try out the bike today? Take it slow and don't strain yourself." Mia nodded to him forgiving him for his doubts silently and thanking him for keeping it from Tony.

"OK, I'd like that."

Tony was looking at Mia with wide eyes after hearing about her arm. He thought she'd tried to kill herself, end her capture. The thought had crossed his own mind and probably many others' who'd been captured as well. He had no idea where she got the strength to do that to herself not to end her torment but instead to keep herself aware, alert and alive. She may be a bit banged up and dented...him and Yinsen were too but they were still whole enough and they were going to get the hell out, no matter what. He looked away when he realized he'd been staring and quickly got back to work when Mia's eyes caught his. He obviously wasn't meant to hear what she'd confessed to Yinsen but all that mattered now was that she was with them and relatively safe.

Mia had insisted on cleaning up after the meal and had in fact picked up the same chores she had before. It was almost like she never left.

The men were working on forging some of the plates for the suit so she decided to try out the bike as suggested earlier. She stretched her arms then her legs using various techniques for about ten minutes before climbing on. She was surprised at how sturdy it was despite its rickety appearance.

She started slowly and then built up to a steady pace, losing herself in the rhythm enjoying the workout.

She pedaled until she had a good sweat going and felt fatigue in her body, then slowed down slowly and dismounted to stretch her cooling muscles. She wasn't riding for any more than maybe 10 minutes but she felt like she had gone for miles. Her muscles were weak and she'd have to work hard to build them up if she was going to run out of here. Once she was done the stretches she looked over to the unattended computer beside the bike, wondering if the bike had generatged enough power for it to work. She hit the power button and was surprised at the quick startup into a non graphical interface. She stared at it idly at first and then with curiosity as the operating system started coming together for her. With no graphical interface to speak of, it reminded her of the old DOS system she'd played with when she was younger.

The men looked like they were winding down with the furnace for the day so she thought she'd just take a quick peek at the contents before joining them for the next meal. It hadn't taken long to boot, and Mia was now navigating the data within smoothly. Disappointed at not recognizing anything she was about to power it down when a few lines caught her eye.

She wasn't a programmer by any stretch and she couldn't even tell what language the code was in but she did recognize bits and pieces. She had played with Python, C and C variations, Java, Javascript and various others in the past and at some point had even gotten some basic sql down. Always wanting to be a programmer but never being able to create a program from scratch she had given up on it but she always had a knack for modifying existing code and enjoyed playing with open source programs.

She was scrolling through the code on the screen, absorbed in what she was looking at but had she had looked up she would have seen Tony running at her. One second she was looking at the code, the next she was roughly pushed away and on her backside in the dirt.

"Get away from that!" Tony was looking over the program completely disregarding Mia.

"What the hell is your problem?! I didn't hurt your stupid program or the computer. I was just looking at it asshole." Mia was beyond pissed. How dare he treat her like that! She wasn't stupid, she wouldn't have damaged anything.

Always the wiser one Yinsen tried to calm her down. "He is just overly concerned. It was difficult to obtain the computer and he spent many hours writing and finishing the code. We will be using it to power up and program the suit." He looked at the suit which was finally recognizable as a suit of armor.

Mia calmed down still upset with Tony's reaction. She had to get the last word out. "You said the program is finished? Seriously?"

"Hey, I wrote the thing it's done and it's going to work. I'm sorry I lost my temper; I'm just a bit tense. A lot is depending on the computer and code right now." He ran a hand through his hair, calming down and letting out a sigh.

Mia and Tony were now facing each other, Tony concluding that the computer and the code were still intact but neither backing down or willing to apologize to the other.

"Well I don't know much about programming, but it looks to me like the startup sequence can be shortened by at least half. The value of 20 with that much wattage is seriously overkill. You can lower it to about 8 and once everything is powered up enough to walk, you can program the rest to boot in the background. By the time you leave the cell the rest of the functions should be up and fully operational."

Yinsen raised an eyebrow at her comment, intrigued with this new side of her.

"No it can't be done. My code is spot on, it's going to work just fine."

Crossing her arms in front of her looking somewhat cocky Mia spoke up again. "Sure it's going to work fine, but it's going to be slow. I didn't get to finish looking before you practically shoved me to the other side of the room but I can mod the code to start the suit up much faster than what you've done. Let me show you and if I'm wrong I'll never bring it up again. If I'm right it'll be worth it."

This time Tony crossed his arms, a bit peeved that he was being challenged but he stepped aside and motioned to Mia to come over. This was about survival after all and he recognized the need to set his ego aside.

She came to stand timidly in front of the computer, Tony watching over her shoulder making her uncomfortable. She wished he would give her some space, but like the man said, a lot was depending on the program. She was a bit surprised he was actually allowing her to play with the code at all. He was after all and genius and computers and machinery were his specialties, whereas she was just a novice.

A few more moments of scrolling and she was confident that she knew what she was doing. Wanting to ask questions but holding back, knowing that she was being tested she deleted a line of code and replaced it with another she wrote up. She could almost feel Tony's eyes burning a hole in her back but he hadn't stopped her or said anything so she kept going.

Having lost track of time while going through the pages of code, forgetting her surroundings, Mia reviewed the end product one last time before stepping out of the way.

Although he'd been watching over her shoulder the entire time, Tony didn't hesitate to take her place in front of the screen and start going over the code. Mia's hands were getting clammy and her anger deflated and was replaced by self doubt. She mentally berated herself for her fiery temper and hugged her arms to opposite shoulders, ready to apologize when Tony spoke up. There was no anger or frustration in his voice. Instead, Yinsen cocked an eyebrow at Mia as Tony spoke to her with wonder and almost praise.

"How did you come up with that? If this works, and it looks like it's going to...The suit will be up and running in less than half the time I originally anticipated. Not only that but you've also decreased the power use by fifteen percent! This should give me 20 minutes of running time instead of 15! It's so obvious now that it's here, but I never would have done it this way. No one with a shred of training would ever use variables like this and some of this reminds me of the old Turing setups I played with when I was a kid. It all comes together beautifully though. It's astounding really."

"It seems Tony Stark that you owe her an apology." Yinsen was looking smug on Mia's behalf, amused at the 'great' Tony Stark's shock.

Mia stepped back suddenly nervous from the praise she was getting. "It was nothing; I do stuff like this all the time. Well not like this..." she indicated the suit. "But modding code. It's fun." She was blushing madly and starting to blabber nervously. She shrugged and looked at the floor glad she did something to contribute to the escape. "Ummm...I need to bathe, excuse me."

Mia left to start heating water for her bath. Yinsen was grinning and Tony was still staring at the computer screen in shock. "She's just full of surprises. Wow! I'm not going to let her go, she said she was looking for something to do, maybe she'd be willing to work for me."

Yinsen smiled and placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "She is very special that one, my friend. She has been through much and has found the strength to persevere."

Tony was still in shock about the code but that wasn't all. "Yinsen...I think I care for her. If she doesn't make it out of here….well…she has to….and so do you. The three of us are getting out and when all this is behind us we're going to party like it's the end of the world. My treat!"

"Do not doubt yourself Tony. I have observed you during our time together. The look in your eyes when you look at her tells me you may someday grow to feel more for her than you do now." Tony looked panicked and Yinsen patted his shoulder. "Do not worry, for I believe she also has feelings for you even if she herself does not realize it yet."

With that he walked away and they resumed their work while Mia used a wet rag to clean dirt off herself behind the flimsy partition.

They were nearly ready for their escape, one more day and they'd be out of here. The second in command had not come for Mia or the weapons yet and none of them dared to question it. They knew that the next time he visited them Mia's time with them would be up and that none of them would come out unharmed when no missile was available to be presented.

They were eating their supper when the door barged open. The second in command was looking angry and started yelling. Mia was grabbed and dragged out while Yinsen went towards them and translated for Tony. "They have injured and they require my services. It has also been decided that Mia will not be returning to stay with us any longer. They say she has been a distraction to you. They will return me when I am done but we must have the missile ready by noon tomorrow or it is the end for us."

With those words Yinsen was taken away and Tony was left alone in the cave. Worry and stress kept him awake as he toiled to finish the suit on his own. Ready or not the escape would take place as soon as Yinsen was returned.


	6. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tony was worried about Yinsen and Mia both but as he sat alone in the cave drinking the dark colored water from the spigot to refresh himself, he knew he needed to focus on the escape.

He went over each piece of the suit. He took the part off, tested it, oiling the joints where needed and tightening screws and bolts for optimal efficiency. He knew that nothing in this situation was ideal, but if they stood any chance of escape the suit had to come first. It came first before Yinsen, first before Mia and first before himself.

He grimaced as he tested the pieces out knowing that with no buffer between the heavy plates and the wearer heat and friction would rub skin raw and sore and that some of the joint pieces were likely to pinch. His clothing was minimal and there was nothing with which he could fashion an under suit. In his mind an image of Mia all beaten and bloodied came to the surface and he couldn't even imagine the pain she was in for the majority of her capture. The pain he would feel wearing the suit wouldn't be nearly as prolonged as what Mia had suffered and he resolved to do his very best to make the escape a success. He used Mia as his source of encouragement and strength and continued his work checking the suit.

Yinsen was returned hours later looking tired but otherwise unharmed. Tony hurriedly went up to the older man and asked about Mia and if there was any word on what was happening outside the cell.

He knew where Mia was being kept but he feared she didn't have long. Last he saw she was being beaten for distracting Tony from building the missile. She no doubt had broken bones after only a few hits due to her malnourished state. He had also noticed her among the injured terrorists, being forced to lay her hands on the most injured of them and heal them to the point where they weren't in danger of death. When she was close to unconsciousness she was injected with something in the neck and they would then drag her to the next man to be healed. Looking into the man's eyes he could see the worry but he could also tell that he was having trouble holding himself together in light of their plan. He decided that at the moment to keep Mia's real situation to himself.

Yinsen spoke and hoped he wouldn't be questioned further. "Our captors attempted to grow their territory and clashed with an opposing force. Many of them were injured and needed medical attention." In truth, this was a stroke of luck since it had thinned out the numbers in the cave and would make escape easier. He said as much to Tony and the other man nodded.

I saw Mia only briefly but it looked to me that they were too occupied with their injured and for the time being left her alone in a cell. She should be safe until we are ready." Yinsen looked away from Tony quickly after delivering the last line, feeling guilty for not being more truthful about the state of their friend. He knew that Mia wouldn't have wanted Tony to be distracted either and he hoped that his lie would pay off during the escape. The more focused they were on the escape the sooner they could rescue Mia. He only hoped she could hang on a while longer.

The men worked together the remainder of the day. Yinsen continued checking the armor and practiced working with the clasps and bolts that would hold Tony inside. Tony focused on the program and made sure that every sequence would execute exactly.

They were grateful that there were no visits from their captors but Tony was clearly worried that Mia hadn't been returned despite Yinsen's reassurances that she was likely being left alone.

Yinsen and Tony ate what food was left and with minimal talk lay down to rest a few hours. Upon waking they were getting out.

*0*0*0*

In the cell she'd been tossed in Mia curled up against the wall hugging her knees to her chest and feeling like she was holding herself together. She'd been beaten and drugged. She'd been forced to heal so many with horrific injuries but no matter how many drugs they'd shot her up with she couldn't save everyone.

She felt was bleeding in several spots and the clothes she was wearing had long since turned red and brown with blood both dried and fresh but she couldn't see any of it since there was absolutely no light where she was. The cell wasn't large enough to lie in and the best she could manage was to lean against the wall.

*0*0*0*0*

I'm so tired and I've been hurting for so long I can hardly remember what it's like not to be in pain. Everything burns and aches and is hot and cold at the same time. The ringing in my ears is worse than it's ever been and my head is spinning so badly. I felt my stomach clench and I turned to the side to heave but there was nothing left to heave. I felt empty physically and emotionally.

I saw Yinsen briefly and I'm glad he's doing well. I hope he tells Tony I'm OK so he'll focus on the escape. Everything was done when Yinsen and I were taken away so the escape shouldn't take long. I wonder if they'll look for me or leave me behind.

Will I even be alive when or if they find me? I've been wishing to die this entire time and now that there's a chance….I don't want to die now. What if I actually do?

Horrible thoughts and images ran through Mia's mind as her body tried to heal and she fell into a healing sleep curled up against the wall.

*0*0*0*0*

Preparations were being made for the escape, Tony and Yinsen had eaten their morning meal quickly, not knowing what would happen if they escaped and when the next opportunity to eat would be. As they had planned, a bomb had been put together on the main door; it would blow as soon as it was opened. This would hopefully be enough of a distraction to give them a few extra minutes if needed. Once that happened there would be no turning back.

They were working as one unit, swiftly and without delay. Tony was being helped into the suit by Yinsen while the computer booted up. They had been working in the blind spot of the camera that was installed in their cell and usually, there was always one person on camera to make it less suspicious to their watchers when they worked on the suit. Now that both of them were out of the camera's view they knew it wouldn't be long before their captors would be coming to investigate in person.

Just as the thought had gone through their minds, the eye level slot in the door opened and a guard yelled something through it.

They needed a bit more time, Yinsen spoke loudly to the guard hoping to stall but then there was a loud rumble and bang followed by the sound of the heavy steel door falling. The bomb had gone off; this was it.

The suit's startup program was just finishing up as Yinsen got the helmet on Tony's head covering the frightened and bloodshot eyes, there was no time for last minute chatter and farewells.

As discussed previously, the plan was that once Tony was ready he was going to walk out of their cell to clear the way for Yinsen who would then lead them to Mia. Once she was rescued, Tony would move on ahead and they were to wait a few moments behind before following the trail of bodies that would be left. Once outside they would go right but none of them knew if that was North, South, East or West. They would know only after they finally looked up at the sky.

They would have only moments to get clear of the caves upon their escape as Tony was planning to take care of the weapons stock pile by blowing it up before he too would later fly in the same direction as his friends. No one was sure if flight would be possible in the heavy suit and there was no way for it to be tested. All they could do was try. Once the leader returned they would all be killed anyways, at least this way it would be on their own terms.

The program finished and the men held their breath waiting for Tony to successfully make a part of the suit move. It was immensely heavy and bulky. The idea was that the program would hold it all up and keep it moving using hydraulics and Tony would only have to control it. If this didn't work Tony would be trapped under the weight of the suit and Mia and Yinsen would most likely be killed in a very unpleasant manner.

Outside their cell was chaos as the troops gathered to help their comrades and investigate the explosion. Orders were being yelled out and all available men were grabbing their weapons ready to kill. Little did they know that they would not be doing the killing and injuring this time.

Inside the cell the men looked at each other in amazement and excitement as first the left arm, then the right leg moved. The movements were choppy in the beginning, but smoothed out as Tony became accustomed to how it moved. It worked!

Without any words being said Tony maneuvered the suit to the door and started shooting.

The two of them walked out at a brisk pace, Yinsen jogging to keep up with the larger strides of Tony in the suit. There were bodies everywhere and he tried not to look but the path he was on had become slick with blood in places and he had to be careful not to slip.

Yinsen noticed the guns beside the bodies of the killed terrorists. He sighed but picked one up against his better judgement. He was a doctor and had taken an oath to heal not harm or kill yet that is what a gun was for. He looked back at Tony who had cleared the current area and was now waiting for Yinsen's direction. With a surge of adrenalin Yinsen led him down an empty hall that would lead to the cells where Mia would hopefully still be.

The hallway in front of them was lit by a string of lights hung on the ceiling in a single strand. The lights flickered and made it difficult to see. There were rotten, thick pieces of wood down one side of the hall. Some were open and others weren't.

This area of the cave was colder than where they'd been staying and even through the suit where Tony was sweating with adrenaline, fear and exertion he could feel the cold seeping into his pores.

Yinsen could see his breath as he took in a lungful of air. They must be deeper than they previously were and that meant they were still far from the entrance of the cave. Yinsen called out with caution hoping that Mia would respond but knowing she would most likely be unable to. Dead or unconscious, he didn't know which they would find but neither of them were going to leave her behind.

He went to the first door and looked in finding only a pile of putrid rags. The next few doors were the same and a couple of rats ran out from another. Looking inside Yinsen felt bile in his throat when he saw they had been feasting on a body. Behind him Tony was silent and Yinsen strode up to the body and felt relief that it wasn't Mia.

Tony was angry and now desperate to find Mia and get out. He no longer wanted to wait patiently for Yinsen to open the doors and so he instead knocked them in as they passed being careful not to knock them down in case Mia was crushed. By the sixth door they were losing hope but just as they were going to turn away the bundle of rags in the previous cell moved unnoticed by them. There was a groaning sound and Yinsen ran back to investigate. By the time Tony had managed to turn the bulk suit around in the narrow space Yinsen had already gone into the dark space and moved the rags in the cell enough to reveal Mia's face. She was bloody and beaten but still alive and even better was coming out of her unconscious state.

Tony was shocked at Mia's condition and was angry that Yinsen had lied to him. He knew why the older man had done it but was still angry just the same. Had he known what Mia was going through he would have moved up the schedule for the escape and saved her some pain. He was seeing red at the moment and he quickly moved the suit towards the sound of yelling voices amped up to take his anger out on those that caused their suffering.


	7. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Yinsen walked under the blaring sun of the desert while carrying a now unconscious Mia in his arms.

During their escape he had been badly shot by a guard who was half dead on the ground and was prepared to meet his family in the afterlife. He had told Mia to go on without him but she wouldn't accept the situation. Despite her weakened state she pushed herself to unconsciousness making him whole again.

She had hurriedly dug her hands into his body and pulled out the bullets. The pain was immense and he screamed in pain. His eyelids were heavy as he saw spots in his vision. Then, he felt such warmth and comfort that all the pain washed away like it was never there. He was certain that he had died and made it to the afterlife but the 'pop', 'pop' of weapons fire quickly roused him and he looked at the unconscious form draped over him. She was losing blood quickly and her body was going into shock. There was no time to treat her so he picked her up quickly and ran hoping that he wouldn't be carrying a corpse by the time he met up with Tony.

He kept looking up to ensure he was following the smoke trail Tony had left behind as he flew overhead just moments ago after blowing up the weapons cache on the other side of the compound. He was wondering what the next steps would be and if Tony had survived the crash back to earth after his flying escape. The suit had looked intact and it should have helped to cushion the fall somewhat.

Walking one foot in front of the other, tired, hot and thirsty he was now out of adrenalin and options. He plowed forward glad that they had at least escaped the confines of the caves.

Yinsen still carried the gun with him in case they ran into trouble, but it was looking unlikely at this point.

After about a half hour, based on the position of the sun he stopped to rest. His muscles not strong enough to endure walking on the sand any longer and Mia still bleeding was awake but only half aware of her surroundings and shivering heavily despite the hot dessert atmosphere.

The sun was getting hotter as it rose in the sky and Yinsen knew the smoke trail wouldn't be there much longer.

He forced himself to get up and walk no longer carrying Mia, she was stumbling beside him, refusing to be his burden any longer. He was in awe of her ability to heal and worried about the heavy blood loss she suffered but at least she was awake and moving.

Not even five minutes later they came across the first piece of armor plating that had been pried off Tony's suit. Spurring them on they now followed the pieces of the suit like breadcrumbs hoping to find Tony alive and well. A few feet further and they saw a mess ahead that was most likely Tony and what was left of the suit. There was no movement, but they had to be sure. They pumped their legs, it was slow going over the deep sand but Yinsen made it to Tony first and collapsed beside him, moving a shaky hand to his neck to check for a pulse. He was bloody in places where the suit had rubbed his skin raw, but looked otherwise OK and had a steady pulse.

Mia crouched nearby, careful not to trip on any of the debris in the area. Having made it this far and knowing that Tony and Yinsen were alive she let herself go and passed out face first into the hot sand.

Hearing Yinsen calling Mia's name, Tony came to and quickly noticed how pale Mia had become.

"What's wrong with her? The suit worked, we made it out, why isn't she awake?" Tony pried off more of the armor and crawled over to Mia who was now cold and clammy to the touch and still unresponsive. "All that work, everything we did….I refuse to lose her like this! Do something Yinsen, you're a doctor, fix her!"

Yinsen couldn't find any words in that moment. He felt responsible for Mia's condition and didn't know what to tell Tony. The man was enraged, his chest heaving and breaths heavy, Yinsen didn't know how to tell Tony he couldn't help Mia out in the dessert. He instead bowed his head and slowly shook it. There was nothing he could do but try to make her comfortable. She wouldn't be able to get up and walk in her condition and without a blood transfusion her body would go deeper into shock and she would die.

Tony bowed his head over Mia's and held a cold hand while looking at her gaunt face, bruised and bloodied. He brushed a piece of hair away from her face and let tears of frustration fall from his eyes. "You got this far, you made me care about you and now you're giving up? We made it, we're alive, please don't die now; Not after surviving though so much."

Tony was angry, so angry he wished the terrorists were still alive so he could kill them again and then again. How could they get this far only for one of them not to make it? He was Tony Stark and when he put his mind to something he always succeeded. Would this be his first failure? Mia had already taught him not to judge a book by its cover, was she now going to teach him about failure?

Yinsen laid a hand tentatively on Tony's shoulder, they would have to get moving soon but he knew it would be difficult.

Still holding Mia's hand Tony gave it a squeeze. "I'm taking her with us; no one is being left behind." Yinsen nodded his consent and was about to get up and help Tony carry Mia when the sound of helicopters was heard in the distance. Tony and Yinsen looked at each other, communicating silently not knowing if they were about to be rescued or re-captured.

The helicopters came into view. There were three of them, two looked the same but the third was colored differently. Neither Tony or Yinsen could decipher to whom they belonged at first but once the helicopters were fully visible Tony seemed relieved as he closed his eyes and lay his head on the sand beside Mia's.

With some help from Yinsen Tony pulled himself up to a sitting position and watched the choppers land. The people getting out of them were American!

"This is it Yinsen, our ticket home, all of us! Mia's hanging in there and I now she won't die without a fight." Tony was holding Mia's limp form to his chest now, hugging her for all he was worth. "These choppers can take us back to the army base and they can patch Mia up but I wonder who the third chopper belongs to..."

Yinsen now realized that the third chopper belonged to the Afghan army. The Americans would have had to inform them before they came out here and they most likely joined along to offer assistance and supervision.

The first helicopter landed and a soldier ran out towards the trio. Tony immediately recognized his longtime friend Rhodey. "Tony, you lucky bastard!" A smile broke out across his face, happy to find his friend alive.

Too tired to get up right away Tony remained in the sand holding onto Mia. "Ya missed a great party on the fun-vee buddy." Rhodey just shook his head and motioned to the choppers to get a couple of stretchers. Tony refused his stretcher and was helped up by Rhodey while carrying Mia unsteadily. He walked over to one of the stretchers and gently laid her down. He turned back to say his farewells to Yinsen since it seemed he would have to leave with the Afghan army but as he let go of Mia to do just that her hand grabbed his. He looked back at her but her eyes were still closed.

Yinsen saw Mia move and tears welled up in his eyes as he hugged Tony farewell. Yinsen knew now that she would recover and he was glad to have been proven wrong. Taking a last glance at his two friends Yinsen walked to the Afghan helicopter. His home had been destroyed and he had nowhere to go so he didn't have any contact information to give Tony but Tony had scribbled a phone number on a scrap of paper and given it to Yinsen. "Call me. Get settled in and call me. The three of us will go out and have that party."

It was an emotional farewell but this was just the beginning for the three of them.

Once Yinsen was well on his way Tony turned back to Mia and stayed with her while she was loaded into one of the helicopters. Time was of the essence and space was limited, they had to get a move on and Mia now let go of Tony's hand while being tended too. Tony got into the other helicopter with Rhodey so that the medics with Mia had room to treat her.

It was all happening so fast, everything was dark and Mia tried to find Tony. She had been holding his hand, she needed reassurance that she was going to be OK but she could no longer feel Tony's presence nearby and her eyelids were too heavy to open. Unfamiliar hands were grabbing at her, securing her and moving her around. Suddenly she was frightened and in her mind she was back with her tormentors. She tried to fight against the grabbing hands not knowing that they were only trying to help her but her body wouldn't respond with enough strength and she was helpless. Eventually she was injected with something and she knew no more.

After catching up on some sleep and spending time in Rhodey's company, the two friends caught up and Tony stuffed his face full of whatever the canteen had on hand. Tony was in Mia's room to check up on her condition once he was informed that she was in stable condition. He wasn't told what the extent of her injuries were but the base doctor assured him that she was currently sleeping and should wake up soon. He had been there an hour or two and was about to leave when Mia woke up with a gasp and a wild look in her eyes.

Startled, Tony quickly sprang up from his chair and stood beside Mia.

"Shhh…it's OK, American soldiers rescued us, we're currently at an army base in Afghanistan but it's just a pit stop and then we're going home."

Mia's eyes weren't quite focused and Tony realized she wasn't hearing his voice while she experienced a flashback. She kept murmuring 'hands off, hands off…' and rubbing her arms. Not knowing what to do Tony called out for help into the hallway then returned to her side and kept calling her name until her eyes focused and she was back in the present.

He felt terrible having just left her as long as he had among unfamiliar faces. He had told himself she was unconscious and wouldn't be aware, she was being helped by the best, but maybe Yinsen was right about him when they first met. He really didn't care about anyone but himself. He saw his buddy and the ticket home and he had left Mia's side in his haste to leave the dessert, he was a total bastard.

"Tony…" His name was soft on her lips but it stopped him from irrationally beating himself up further as he focused on her.

"Hey, look at me. We're got out; we're going home once we're cleared by the base doctor." Mia looked at him, bleary eyed and tired. "You'll be fine, I'll be fine and Yinsen will be fine. When you're up to it I'll tell you about how cool I was in the suit. I kicked some serious ass with that thing."

Mia dug deep into herself and brought out a smirk, putting on a brave face. "Again with the ego Tony...if it keeps inflating like this they'll need to leave soldiers behind just to make room for the two of you on the plane back home."

"I'll try to keep it under control but it's hard when you're awesome as me."

Mia laughed briefly before a sharp pain made itself known to her and she gasped for breath. She paused a moment then seemed to be better. "Well, I guess I'm not quite ready to get out yet. Where's the doc? I'd like to know how long they plan to keep me here." She smirked smartly and looked Tony in the eyes. "If you and your ego don't take up all the space I'd like to catch a flight back with you. If you don't mind." The last part was said quietly and she looked away uncertainly.

Tony had planned on getting out within the week and meeting up with Yinsen and Mia later on. Her injuries were pretty severe from the looks of things and she'd need some time to recover before she was released. Although she wasn't saying it Tony recognized the pleading look in Mia's eyes. She didn't want to be left behind and alone.

"Hey don't worry about it; we'll both go home together, OK?"

"Thanks Tony for everything." She grabbed him hand and gave it a light squeeze her voice soft and sincere.

Tony squeezed her hand back and smiled at her. A moment later the doctor came in and Tony made his way out of the room.


	8. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

*0*0*0*0*

The first thing I noticed was that my mouth felt dry and my throat was scratchy and sore. My eyelids felt heavy and the strong smell of antiseptic invaded my nostrils.

There was a beeping sound on my right that was speeding up and I could hear footsteps nearby. I remembered the escape and trying to find Tony. I recalled walking in the hot sand as it burned the soles of my scantily clad feet. It had taken everything just to put one foot in front of the other and I thought it would never end. That's the last thing I remembered. My eyes flew open and I sat up sloppily suddenly very afraid of what had transpired since the hot walk in the dessert.

*0*0*0*0*

There was a shadow on the other side of the curtain which surrounded the bed Mia found herself in. She was in some sort of a hospital; she was going to be OK. Was Tony OK? What about Yinsen? She recalled now that he had gone off with the Afghan army while her and Tony went with the Americans, would she see either of them again? The anxiety was causing some tightness in her chest but slow, controlled breaths helped. Her mind was still a bit fuzzy but things were coming back to her in bits and pieces.

Just then a doctor was at her bedside and was closing the curtain around her bed for privacy. She kept her distance and for that Mia was grateful but she had a lot of questions and she wanted answers.

"Good Afternoon, I'm Dr. Saunders, we spoke briefly yesterday but you nodded off after a few moments, do you remember that? How are you feeling?" Her voice was pleasant and made Mia homesick.

"I'm fine; I remember seeing Tony, then you when I was awake. I'm a little sore, tired and really hungry but nothing too unusual. Tony told me this is an army base and we'll be flying home soon. When can I leave?"

*0*0*0*0*

Now I remembered what had happened. Was it only yesterday that she'd seen Tony and the doctor? It seemed to her that she'd been sleeping longer. She was frustrated with her lack of knowledge and anxious to get back home to her family and friends.

She couldn't seem to focus her thoughts properly and the soreness in her body kept causing what few thoughts she could grasp to scatter. Not wanting to fall apart into an emotional wreck and risk prolonging her stay she pushed everything away and focused on getting home.

*0*0*0*0*

The Doctor frowned at the stoic response from her latest patient. Mia meanwhile felt that she asked her questions lightly to mask her anxiety and desperation for answers.

"You're stable Miss Solomon but to be honest you have a long road to recovery and you'll have some scarring where old wounds have healed badly. You had several broken ribs and your liver was slightly nicked but should heal with time. In fact, most of your internal organs have been heavily bruised and there were signs of internal bleeding when you were first brought it but once we ran some tests everything looked OK so we didn't need to operate. You also have a kidney infection and a UTI for which you're receiving antibiotics. Your digestive system is barely functioning due to a lack of food and water so for the time being we have an IV set up for you. I know you must be feeling hungry but I recommend you start slowly with broth for now. If you can keep that down you can try some high calorie nutritional drinks and we'll go from there. Some of your muscles are also in the early stages of atrophy but some light exercise will help to remedy that once your internal bruising has gone down. "

"No broken limbs, no surgery, no body parts missing?" Mia couldn't believe her good fortune. After all she'd been through she couldn't tell which wounds were hers and which were a result of healing others, it had all meshed into one giant ache all over her body.

"No, nothing like that but there are some long term issues you'll need to know about and I need to ask you a few questions to complete your file if you feel up to it." The doctor sat in a nearby chair the patient file open on her lap.

"No….I don't mind, but after we're done would you please answer some of my questions?"

0****0

An hour later Mia was laying in her bed, eyes feeling heavy as her new dose of meds kicked in. Yinsen and Tony were safe and so was she. She was given the morning after pill which she gratefully took and the doctor had answered all her questions.

She was at an American base in Afghanistan where she and Tony would be staying for a couple weeks to recover and 'debrief' the army. Once they were better they'd be flown out to LAX where their families would be waiting for them.

She hadn't seen Tony since yesterday but she was told to stay in bed. Maybe this was for the best. Now that they weren't holed up in a cave together they could cut their ties and get back to their lives. She had heard people talking on the other side of the curtain and knew that she and Tony lived in two different worlds that would never meet. He was probably already planning his return with anticipation; she didn't want to hold him back from his life.

0*****0

In a private room down the hall Tony was telling Rhodey about his time spent in the cave. He could tell Rhodey was concerned for his health with the arc reactor stuck in his chest but he just waved it off.

"You should have seen her work Rhodes. I wrote the code myself, it was perfect since my work always is. She takes one look at it and suggests a change in a way I hadn't thought of. She said she played with codes for fun, no classes or formal teaching of any sort so her code was a bit messy but the creativity behind it…..if it wasn't for her changes to the code all three of us wouldn't have made it out alive."

Rhodey was seated at the foot of the bed while Tony was propped up on the head board, arms crossed over his chest, a smirk on his face. "Is the great Tony Stark admitting to a mistake?"

"What? No, no mistake, it was just a different way of thinking. She's rough around the edges but the way she understood and modified the code was incredible, and all that from glancing at it for a moment. I'd love to see what she can do with some of the more complex algorithms I've got on my server back home."

"Algorithms? Didn't you just say she was working on some programming?"

"Sure it was programming but it wasn't as simple as power on and set the wattage, it was a complex program with some heavy math behind it. It had to calculate wattage, air resistance, weight, speed, etc all based on constantly changing variables. I spent days writing it up and reviewing it for efficiency. The average MIT grad would just barely understand the purpose of the code after studying it for a few hours let alone being able to modify it, but Mia…after only a few moments was able to rewrite a chunk of it with an idea that was so obvious once it was pointed out but I probably wouldn't have thought of myself."

"Tony, you're a genius, so what does that make her?"

'I don't know Rhodey but I plan to keep her around to find out. Speaking of Mia, where have they got her holed up now that she woke up?"

"She's down the hall in the main treatment area where you can see her once the doctor says you can get up. NO more sneaking around man."

"Ah, don't be such a downer Rhodey, I've been in bed for half the day, time to stretch my legs."

Colonel Rhodes was about to argue with his best friend but one look and he knew that there was more to Tony's request than just walking around. Whatever happened during his captivity he seemed to have changed as a person and every smile, grin, laugh and joke was a well-placed cover Tony was using to hide the new him. He'd known Tony a long time and never had he seen his best friend looking at someone, especially a woman the way Tony looked at Mia. Although he didn't say anything at the time, it hadn't escaped him that Tony had allowed Mia to hold his hand when he snuck out and visited her yesterday. Tony didn't hold hands with anyone but for some reason with Mia things were different.

He had read the reports the doctor had provided about Tony and Mia. He was horrified when he learned his best friend had a reactor to keep his heart going in his chest. Worse still was the fact that the reactor was keeping pieces of shrapnel which were lodged in his body from reaching his heart and killing him. He doubted that the surgical procedure to keep him alive had been done with any sort of consent and he felt sorrow for his friend.

Tony had finished cleaning up in the attached bathroom and was now donning some clothes Pepper had sent over. With a nod of his head he motioned Tony to follow him to Mia.

It wasn't a long walk, only a few seconds away. Tony made his way to the curtained off area where Mia was and silently crept to the side of her bed. She was asleep from the meds she was on and Tony couldn't fathom how she had made it this far. It had been dark in the cave but under the bright fluorescent lighting of the medical facility every scratch and bruise on Mia's too thin frame stood out like flare on a dark sky. Anger boiled in his veins when he reminded himself again that their captors had gotten a hold of his weapons and it was those weapons that gave them the power to hurt innocents like Mia. How had that happened?

As had been the case when Mia slept she was in the throes of a nightmare. Sweat was starting to bead on her brow as she fought enemies which now only existed in her mind. Once Mia was fully recovered and thinking clearly he was sure she would never want to see him again. She'd think his company was dealing under the table. Maybe they were and that needed to be taken care of, but he was the face of his company. Surely if news of secret deals got out everyone would blame him personally for it. Maybe he should save her the pain of getting upset over him and just leave quietly before she chewed him out; he'd leave a letter explaining things to her. He was sure Yinsen would agree with his choice. He was about to leave the bedside when Mia's nightmare turned into a full-fledged night terror.

Not getting too close to her Tony urgently called her name to wake her, ready to jump out of her arms reach if he had to. After a few moments Mia woke with a strangled scream, sitting up and breathing hard.

"Hey, hey, it's alright, you're safe now, shhh.." Tony held her and mumbled soothing sounds to Mia as she clung to him and struggled to control her breathing. His heart broke to see her in this state and he vowed silently that he'd make it right.

Soon Mia was sleeping again, the drugs in her system along with her injuries taking their toll on her.

Tony lay her down gently and brushed a few strands of hair off her face, his fingers trailing lightly on her face. He turned around to leave and saw Rhodey looking at him in wonderment.

Never, _ever_ had Rhodey witnessed his best friend offering comfort to anyone. Tony didn't do feelings, feelings meant you got hurt. Yet there he was looking genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of the young woman who was moments ago being held and comforted in Tony's arms. Tony was caring about someone besides himself.

"You OK Tony? I've never seen you like that with anyone….and are your eyes a bit red? " A sad grin broke out on Rhodey's face, " Never thought I'd live to see the day that Tony Stark would care about a person other than Tony Stark, I'm only sorry it was under such terrible circumstances." The two of them headed back to Tony's room where Tony promptly closed the door in Rhodey's face, obviously wanting some alone time after the emotional display.

Used to Tony after so many years, Rhodey just grinned and walked away while shaking his head. "Never thought I'd see the day…."


	9. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next day, Tony was on a private jet heading directly to Miami where Pepper and Happy would get him reacquainted with his old life.

Rhodey had no idea what was going through Tony's head after his visit to Mia. He'd simply said it would be best for Mia if he wasn't around, handed Rhodey a letter to pass along to her and headed off for Miami.

Looking down at his hand Rhodey stared at the sealed letter. He'd tried to reason with Tony, explained to him he was being childish and that Mia needed him after all they'd been through together but the haunted look in Tony's eyes told him more than any words would have and he almost wished he hadn't opened his mouth. In all the years he had known him, Tony was never one to keep quiet. Always bragging about the latest invention or business venture, Tony loved the spotlight and would talk about anything and everything. His silence at the time was unnerving and spoke volumes; Rhodey knew then, that leaving Mia wasn't something Tony was doing lightly. Maybe in his own warped way Tony really did think that this was best for Mia.

The young woman, Mia Solomon, was severely malnourished and dehydrated with multiple flesh wounds and internal injuries. Just looking at her it was hard to believe anyone that thin could actually be alive let alone up and moving on their own. The report mentioned she was at a high risk of multiple organ failure due to the severe state of starvation her body had gotten to. Along with daily vitamin injections she was to eat a seven whopping thousand calories a day for two weeks in order to get her weight back up at least to a point where she would be more stable. As suspected the report also mentioned signs of rape and internal scarring.

Seeing that Mia was still asleep Rhodey turned to leave but was stopped by a gasp followed by heavy breathing. He turned around to see that Mia had woken up from another one of her night terrors.

She was sitting up in a panic with fear in her eyes, her breaths coming out sharp and ragged, her broken ribs probably protesting the deep movement of her diaphragm. He had seen the same thing in soldiers who had been tortured and he wouldn't be surprised if she had some form of PTSD to deal with.

He was about to step closer to the frightened woman, still obviously not fully aware of her surroundings but she was quick to tense up further with every movement he made.

Realizing he wasn't going to help the situation any he stepped out of the curtained area and was surprised to find Private Santos about to enter. She had been on the crew that was sent out to investigate the explosion in the dessert and had ridden in the same chopper and him and Tony.

"Sir!" She saluted him and stood at attention.

"As you were." He noticed a bundle of clothing in her arms.

Seeing his eyes private Santos answered the unasked question. "I was bringing her some clothes sir. The doctor suggested that some form of normalcy might assist with Miss Solomon's recovery sir."

With a curt nod Rhodey nodded his head and stepped aside for the private. "She's just woken from a nightmare; I think she needs a few minutes."

"Not a problem sir. Will that be all sir?"

"Yes private. Continue on, but please contact me when you're done. I'd like a moment with Miss Solomon."

"Yes sir."

With that Rhodey stepped away for a few minutes while Private Santos entered the curtained off area where Mia's bed was.

It had been two weeks since the rescue and Mia had recovered enough to be sent to LAX airport in LA where an ambulance would be waiting to take her to a local hospital to be checked over more thoroughly. The base only had the bare essentials and it was strongly recommended that Mia be looked over to ensure that no injuries were missed.

A week and three days ago Mia had experienced one of the worst and best day's she'd ever had. Private Maria Santos had brought her some real clothes to wear instead of the paper hospital gown and the two women had chatted for over an hour, learning that they had a lot in common and enjoyed each other's company. Apparently the rescue mission to find Tony marked the end of her tour and she'd be flying back to LAX on the same flight at Mia.

That day a week ago was also the day she found out that Tony had left her to go back home after spending a few days at the base to recover and 'debrief', without so much as a "goodbye" to her. Colonel Rhodes had given her a letter Tony had left for her.

 _"Mia,_

 _I have business to take care of and needed to get to Miami ASAP._

 _Pepper's information is below, get in touch with her; she'll make sure your medical bills are covered._

 _Go home and be with your family, I know how much you missed your mother. Yinsen will be getting in touch with me sometime in September. I'll get a hold of you and the three of us can get together at my place in Miami._

 _Take care,_

 _Tony Stark"_

Although Mia had been telling herself she wasn't good enough to be a part of Tony's world it still hurt her when she saw the evidence of it in writing from his own hand. Private Maria Santos had tried to cheer her up and pointed out the fact that it was very generous of Tony to pick up the tab on her medical bills. Surely he cared about her since he was offering help to her but that's not how Mia saw it.

Tony Stark had money, a lot of money. He was throwing money at her to go away, hoping she'd take the money and leave him alone. She felt disgusted with herself for ever finding comfort in his arms and asked to be alone the rest of the day while she wept.

Unfortunately the fun didn't end there that day. Colonel Rhodes had come back again, but this time instead of a letter he was reading a report of some sort. He kept his eyes on the report, unable to look Mia in the eyes.

Keeping his distance as to not make her uncomfortable he had told her that they hadn't been able to contact her parents at the number she'd provided. Upon further investigation it was found that they had been in a severe car accident and had passed away a few weeks ago. As per their wishes they had been cremated and their urns kept in a Mausoleum. Their lawyer was currently holding the estate for Mia while she travelled. Word of her captivity was not disclosed to the public, and Mia appreciated the discretion.

She had spent the rest of the day in shock, almost catatonic. She had thought that her life could go back to normal once she escaped, it was what had kept her going but…what did she have left?

After two days of lying in her bed and feeling sorry for herself while ignoring the doctor and the world around her, Private Maria Santos had forced her to get up and walk around. She'd dragged Mia to the canteen for lunch and introduced her to Private Summers and Troy. Both had been part of the group which had found her, Tony and Yinsen.

The four of them spent almost the entire week meeting when they could to spend time together. After four days Private Summers and Troy were sent out for a training exercise so they said their farewells knowing that Mia and Santos would be leaving soon. Santos had kept close to Mia to make sure she didn't get depressed and stop taking care of herself.

Now the two of them were boarding a plane to go home. In a few hours they'd be in LA and Mia Santos would split up and go their own ways…..or so Mia thought.

Three months after the flight to L.A Mia had settled her parents' estate selling their home and almost everything else except for a few keepsakes. She had used the funds to buy herself a modest apartment with three bedrooms and an open concept living/dining/kitchen area and the rest had been invested or placed in savings.

Formerly Private Santos, now known to Mia as Maria was her roommate and best friend. Maria had studied medicine while with the army and was now finishing the required exams to be a full time nurse.

Once the plane had landed Maria had joined Mia in the ambulance to the hospital. After a full day of tests it was discovered that Mia had sustained some hairline fractures to the bones in the legs, hips and arms, but they seemed to be healing. Her other injuries looked worse than they were and she was almost completely free of her pain meds.

Her weight had climbed up to an acceptable 115lbs for her 5.5' frame and with the extra weight she had gained back some of her lost curves and her hair had stopped falling out. She was attending regular Yoga classes to build back some muscle tone and endurance and was seeing a therapist regularly.

She hadn't taken Tony up on his offer to pay for her medical bills since she was mostly ignoring the fact that he even existed. Her therapist told her she'd eventually have to deal with it but for now it was understandable that she felt that way and it would be a goal to work towards. Mia's immediate concern was the fact that she was still having trouble sleeping and being around crowds of any kind, especially on her own. She also had a number of other fears and neurosis to deal with but the therapist assured her that she wouldn't turn into a crazy shut in cat lady while laughing at Mia's choice of words.

Meanwhile in Miami, Tony Stark had been in his mansion's basement workshop almost non-stop since making the announcement that SI would no longer be developing weapons. He was looking at some numbers on a screen when Pepper let herself into the workshop.

"What's up Pep? I'm busy here."

Always the professional Virginia 'Pepper' Potts started listing various tasks and items for Tony to look at and as always Tony ignored everything until one item caught his attention.

"…also I'd like to remind you that Mr. Yinsen Khan will be arriving from Afghanistan tomorrow. Jarvis and I have arranged for him to stay at the Ritz for his visit."

"Nonsense Miss Potts! Set up a room here for him and stock up the kitchen with tea, lots of it, the man likes his teas.

How's Yinsen been doing? Anything I need to know about?" Tony wiped his hands while he spoke and walked over to Pepper.

"There isn't anything of significance. After his debriefing at the Afghan army base he was provided with temporary housing until he could secure something more permanent. I don't see any record of his address but record keeping can be spotty in some parts of the world." Pepper flipped through her notes to see if there was anything noted.

"Huh? That's weird; he said he'd be meeting his family when we got out, where are they?" Work rag over his shoulder, Tony unscrewed the cap on his chlorophyll and took a sip while he sat in a chair.

"I don't see anything here about his family but I'll see what I can find." She took down a few notes and continued on while Tony actually paid attention to what she was saying.

"Miss Mia Solomon has yet to be contacted regarding the reunion; I thought you'd like to do it yourself, in person."

"Miss Potts, there is this stuff we call technology….we use it to communicate over long distances. What's wrong with a phone call?"

Pepper wasn't sure how to proceed so she squared her shoulders and tried to talk in a matter of fact tone.

"The contact number we had on file for Miss Solomon had been disconnected. Apparently Mr. and Mrs. Solomon were involved in a crash in late May of this year. Upon arrival to L.A Miss Solomon settled her parents' estate and purchased another property. I have an address but the phone number is unlisted."

Tony was glad he was sitting when he got that bit of news. First he leaves her and then she finds out she doesn't have anyone to return to once leaving Afghanistan. He didn't realize that his mind was wandering until Pepper's voice cut through the fog in his mind.

"Also, she has yet to contact me regarding any medical bills but it's been confirmed that she has going in for treatment to the hospital upon her return to North America and has been seeing several specialists on an ongoing basis since."

Pepper looked up only to see an empty, spinning chair where Tony was just moments ago. Hearing the door opening behind her, she turned around seeing a blur as Tony rushed into the main house.

"Call Happy, tell him to be ready to go in 15, you too Pep. We're going to L.A, get the Malibu house ready."

A bit startled at the quick shift in Tony's focus Pepper proceeded to follow her boss's instructions and made some phone calls while she headed up to her 'work' room where she kept a travel bag packed and ready to go for last minute travel.


	10. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Three and a half hours after running out of his workshop, Tony found himself and Pepper in an apartment complex making their way up to the 11th floor while Happy waited for them in the car.

It was a decent place considering the area and it seemed to be clean. Tony frowned at the lack of security in the lobby and the homeless which were strewn around the property outside but for once kept his comments to himself.

He turned a corner looking for apartment #1150 and bumped into a woman in nurse's scrubs.

"Sorry I'm in a hurry, excuse me." He was about to move on when a strong grip on his arm stopped him and spun him around.

"Tony Stark, are you lost?"

The woman was taller than he first thought and she was obviously built. He had tried to brush off her grip but found that it was more difficult than he thought. Pepper was standing behind the woman, getting ready to call Happy for assistance when Tony spoke up.

"You look familiar, have we met before?" Tony studied the nurse's face and then noticed the name tag. Santos….where had he seen that before?

"I was part of the rescue team that found you and Mia a few months back. My tour ended so Mia and I came back here together."

"Great, maybe you can point me to her apartment; I'd like to see her, it's been too long."

"I don't think that's a good idea Mr. Stark. Not after what you put her through."

Pepper raised her brow knowing that sometimes the things Tony did seemed insensitive and selfish. Feeling like she shouldn't leave her boss hanging she spoke up in his defence.

"Excuse me, I'm Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark's assistant." Pepper stuck out a hand and Nurse Santos shook it, wary of the red head. "We just flew here from Miami and drove over here as soon as we landed. Tony was unaware of Miss Solomon's situation…."

Santos turned to Tony, her face suddenly hard. She turned to Pepper after giving Tony a stare she had saved only for the insurgents in Afghanistan.

"Well Miss Potts," Nurse Santos interrupted her. "Regardless of Mia's 'situation' it wasn't right that your boss here left her alone in an unfamiliar environment with a bunch of strangers. He left a quickly scrawled letter with Colonel Rhodes and took off."

She turned back to Tony before continuing. "After everything you went through during your captivity with her you couldn't even take the time to say 'goodbye'. She's full of so much doubt about everything. She thought she wasn't good enough to be part of your upper society life and that letter only proved it to her even if it isn't how it was meant. On top of that you offered to give her money for medical bills! She knows you're well off Mr. Stark but she didn't need you to throw your money at her. She wouldn't have asked anything of you once you parted ways, not even your friendship if you didn't offer it first. I think she always had some confidence issues and let's face it, most people do but her time in captivity really did a number on her.

She cares so much about everyone that even after you were gone I know she wondered how you were holding up. She didn't watch your press conference or read about you in the magazines. If I didn't know better I'd say she was pretending you didn't exist, but I hear her at night when she talks in her sleep. She can't hide the fact that she worries about you, Mr. Ho and a ton of other people I've never even heard of. She has terrible nightmares that the people she loves are being hurt and she begs to take their place to spare them the pain. I don't know exactly what horrors she saw and experienced back in Afghanistan but I wouldn't wish them on anyone.

In the end what broke her weren't the rapes the beatings or the torture she endured, it was you abandoning her without so much as a phone call to just chat a few moments." Santos' posture was rigid and her hands were balled into fists. She'd gotten in Tony's face while she spoke and Tony thought he might get sucker punched at any moment.

Pepper had her hand to her mouth in shock while Tony, pale faced and tight lipped stood there while nurse Santos glared at him.

An apartment door down the way opened up and a wall of a man stepped out, looking at the three figures in the hallway.

"Is there a problem here Maria?" He stood in the narrow hall just to Tony's left, arms crossed and looking intimidating.

"No Charlie, no problem here. It's just that an inconsiderate jerk has come to visit Mia and I was telling him why it wouldn't be a good idea."

Charlie looked at the now teary eyed Pepper and the pale faced Tony. After years as a cop on the streets he'd seen way too many crime victims. Although he didn't know the full story behind Maria's introverted roommate he recognized a victim when he saw one. The apartment doors weren't very thick and he'd heard every word Maria had shouted at 'the jerk' saddened that he wasn't wrong about Miss Solomon.

Tony stepped up and raised his voice slightly, sounding sincere and a bit frantic. "Listen, we don't want any trouble here, I know I've been a jerk but I'm here to try to make it better. If I don't get a hold of her here I'll find her somewhere else. I'm just trying to make things right and I can't do that if I don't see her."

Maria looked closely at Tony and then at Pepper. She felt a bit bad about making the poor woman tear up but she needed to let her know what her boss had done to her best friend.

"Fine, she's just down the hall behind you. The door bell's broken so just knock on the door." She wasn't happy about it but Mia was a big girl and could handle herself. She turned to Charlie and the retired cop turned his attention to her, his protective side on full throttle. Maria placed an open palm on his muscular upper arm.

"Don't worry Charlie, Mia will be fine. I'll check in on her during my break." Charlie nodded and returned to his apartment, but not before giving Tony a look that said he'd better not mess up.

Tony and Pepper were just a few feet away when Maria's voice stopped them.

"Mr. Stark, just so you know. It isn't Mia that doesn't deserve to be a part of your life; it's you who doesn't deserve to be a part of hers. Don't forget it and if you hurt her again…." She let the sentence trail off and Tony swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing down the hall.

By the time they got to the door, Pepper had composed herself and Tony had his playboy mask on again. He knocked on the door three times and waited.

They weren't waiting long before they could hear someone behind the door. The peep hole in the door went dark indicating someone was looking through it and the door was slowly unlocked.

A woman stood in the opened door and stood partially behind it as if to hide. Her eyes brightened when she saw who was at the door. "Tony, is that you?"

"Of course it's me, how many men can look this good?" He ran his hand through his hair as he finished the sentence.

Decked out in jeans and a sports coat Tony looked every bit the good looking playboy that was always splashed around in the magazines.

"What are you doing here? I didn't think I'd ever see you again after…." She looked down and a sniffle was heard as her breathing picked up pace.

Tony interrupted quickly ot keep Mia from getting emotional. "Just checking up on you. Pepper here told me about your…family situation. May we come in?"

Pepper did a double take. Since when does Tony ask permission for anything?

Mia paused a moment to think. What did Tony mean by her family situation? Was he here because he felt sorry for her? If her family had still been around would he still have visited or would she just be an afterthought?

How did Tony and his assistant know about her family anyways? Was he spying on her?

She had a lot of questions and she felt her anger flaring up but if she wanted answers she'd need to hear him out so she squashed her anger and spoke quietly and a bit unsure.

"Umm….sure but it's a bit crowded, just watch your step. I'm sorry about the mess." Mia stepped aside to let Tony and Pepper enter.

Tony and Pepper stared at the menagerie of items which littered the apartment. Mia wasn't kidding when she said it was crowded.

Knowing that Tony wouldn't bother, Pepper introduced herself to the reluctant host. "Hi, we haven't been introduced but I'm Virginia Potts or Pepper if you prefer." She held out her hand for the customary shake, but it didn't come.

Mia kept her distance and nodded her head to acknowledge the introduction. Pepper took back her hand and returned the reserved greeting. She gave the woman she'd heard about a quick once over.

She was petite at about 5'5 with her wispy black hair pulled into a messy bun. She was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt but they were hanging off her frame. Black 'librarian' type glasses sat on a sharp nose framing dark, soulful eyes with dark circles under them looking wide with nerves and jitters. While Tony and Pepper were exuding confidence and an air of presence, Mia looked like she just wanted to take up as little space as possible and just be invisible.

"I'm Mia Solomon, call me Mia it's nice to meet you." Mia gave a quick wave a bit awkwardly and Pepper gave Tony a reprising look. She wasn't offended since she could tell Mia wasn't snubbing her, but the poor woman looked so uncertain.

"You can hang your coats on the hooks behind the door there but you can leave your shoes on, the living room is just this way. May I offer you anything to drink? Tea, coffee, soda, water?" The question was aimed at both of them but it was Tony who spoke up.

"A water for me and a coffee for Pepper please. She missed her afternoon java trip today."

Mia looked over to Pepper to confirm and at her nod made her way to the kitchen area. "Feel free to look around. I don't sleep much so I've had a lot of free time and I'm trying to figure out what to do with all this stuff."

Pepper got up and looked at some of the items strewn around while Tony went over to flip through paintings piled up against a wall. After a few seconds Pepper realized that the items she was looking at weren't just junk, they were sculptures and something about them was familiar to her.

Mia returned with a serving tray containing a glass of water, a presser full of hot coffee with a full service set and some delicious looking cookies.

Pepper and Tony were still looking around so Mia went back to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water for herself as well. She was just returning to the living room when Pepper's voice rang out.

"Excuse me Mia but is this sculpture an original Sulla?" She was looking at a modern art sculpture of a mother embracing her child.

Surprised Mia strode over to Pepper and looked at the item in question. "It is, are you a fan of modern art sculptures?"

"I am. In fact I've been trying to acquire a sculpture by Sulla for Tony's private collection these last five years but haven't had any luck. Apparently she only offers to make commission pieces for certain people but I have no idea what the criteria is." Pepper was clearly frustrated at not being able to acquire a Sulla sculpture for the private collection.

"There aren't a lot of pieces around. Where did you first see one?"

"I saw it at a gallery in New York, the owner had loaned it out for a week. I inquired at the time about the cost of it but was told that it wasn't for sale. I've seen photos of a few others but that's all."

"Why do you like her pieces?" Mia took a sip of her water, some tension leaving her but she was still very aware of how small the living room was with three people in it.

"Oh I don't know exactly, but the sculptures just seem so emotional. Like this one you have here reminds me of home. Just looking at this I feel like a child again being held by my mother. The figures are pretty abstract and they don't have much in the way of faces but you can just tell what it's supposed to be. It's really very breathtaking."

"I always liked the embrace series too but since coming back I don't think it suits me anymore. You can have this piece if you want. I only ask that you don't stick it in some vault where it won't be enjoyed."

Pepper's eyes grew huge at the prospect of owning a coveted Sulla art piece. "You can't be serious! This piece must have cost thousands!" At Mia's shrug she tried to call Tony over while continuing to stare at the sculpture but there was no response.

"Tony! Come look at this piece. Mia said we can have it for our collection!" Her voice squeaked a bit in excitement as she turned to see what her boss was up to.

Mia's heart sped up when she realised what had caught Tony's attention. She was frozen to the spot as Pepper made her way over to where Tony was standing holding a painted canvas.

Pepper gasped as she fully saw the painting that had caught Tony's attention. It was an oil painting of Tony in exquisite detail, professionally created. The setting was a dark cave and Tony was standing at what looked like a blacksmith's shop. His clothes were smudged and dirty, his feet wrapped in rags and ash on his face. He was standing at an anvil, the glow from the nearby forge and the arc reactor in his chest casting their glow on him as he held a piece down on the anvil with one arm and had the other risen holding a hammer, ready to strike the anvil.

There was no artist signature on the painting, only a date. Pepper glanced down at the other paintings, seeing more of the same cave but with an older man as its subject. He was dirty and wiry thin; sitting on a ratty cot while sipping from a steaming cup.

There were more pictures of Tony and the older man, but none seemed to be a match for the one Tony had singled out. She was going to look at the next painting in the stack when Tony's hand on hers stopped her.

"No more Pep, that's enough." His voice was suddenly hoarse and he sounded tired. Tony was still holding the picture of himself, his lips were pressed into a tight line and wrinkles were forming around his eyes. Mia had put down her glass and was wringing her hands; standing on Tony's other side from Pepper.

"I didn't make those for anyone, so you know. I wasn't going to let some paparazzi or tabloid get a hold of them either. I was just trying to forget. I thought that if I put the images on canvas, I would stop seeing them behind my eyelids every time I closed my eyes. My therapist said it would be good to get it out of my system but I'm not so sure." She laughed nervously and motioned around the room.

"All I have now is an apartment full of pieces I don't know what to do with, but put too much of myself into to get rid of. Lot of good it did me." Mia moved to the sofa and had a seat on the smaller love seat.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you if it would be OK to be painted but I didn't want to inconvenience you since you were probably busy. If you'd like I can have them destroyed. It doesn't matter."

Pepper turned around to look at Mia and left Tony to stare at the painting he seemed so transfixed on. "Don't even joke about destroying the paintings!" She said passionately. "They're gorgeous. Did you paint all of them? Where did you find the time?"

Still seated but now watching Tony, Mia responded quietly. "Well….I can't really sleep and I don't go out much….when I'm not working out or going to therapy, I'm creating stuff." She motioned over the room, her arm motioning all the pieces scattered around.

Pepper was amazed but then it clicked. "You made everything in here? Even the sculptures?" Mia nodded and looked at the floor, her shoulders tense and her berating tightly controlled.

"You're Sulla! That's why all these sculpted pieces looked familiar; they're all done in the same style, in Sulla's style."

Mia nodded to confirm what Pepper had said. "You found me out. The great Sulla is a pathetic shut in who is well on her way to crazy cat lady town." She gave a bitter chuckle and motioned to the door.

"I think you two should leave now. Pepper, you can take the sculpture you liked with you, I have a trolley you can use, Tony I'll get rid of the paintings with your image on them."

Tony finally put down the painting and turned to face the two ladies.

"Pepper, go and tell Happy he'll need to come up for the sculpture and take your time. Mia and I need to have a few words in private."

At Mia's wide eyed look Pepper was about to argue but Tony shushed her every time she tried. Defeated she thanked Mia for the visit and left the apartment to find Happy.

0*****0

Tony strode over to Mia who was still sitting on the sofa hugging herself as if she wished to be swallowed up.

He sat on the opposite edge of the loveseat and cleared his throat before speaking. "I don't want you to destroy the paintings. I was just shocked to see them, they looked so real and there were more scenes depicted than what I saw during my time there. How long did they have you for?"

Silent tears trailed down her cheeks as Mia reminded herself to breathe.

"It was April when they got me. I was there a month and a few weeks longer than you, about a month longer than Yinsen but he doesn't know." She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Tony shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the emotions he was feeling. "Well it's no wonder you're so messed up. I was in there for less time than you and you should see the mess I made since getting back." He grinned knowing she'd look up from the floor after that comment.

"I am pretty screwed up aren't I?" She sniffled and blew her nose on a tissue. Tony's eyes went wide at how his joking mannerisms seemed to be backfiring on him.

"I don't think your jokes are going to cheer me up this time Tony. I thought that if I could get back home I could be happy again, but instead I'm an emotional wreck and nothing is how it's supposed to be. How do you talk to everyone and do everything you do without breaking down?" Mia looked so devastated that for once Tony decided he'd give her an honest answer. He was about to speak but out of the blue Mia started chuckling and then it turned into full out laughing.

"Crap on a stick, if only you could see your face right now! " Her tears forgotten, Mia's laughter just kept bubbling up every time she looked at Tony's face. Soon she was laughing so hard tears leaked from her eyes. After a few minutes she managed to calm herself down and took a deep breath to steady herself. She was smiling and felt better than she had in a very long time.

"For what it's worth, you don't need to tell me how you keep from breaking down, I can tell from your immense discomfort that you were about to share your deep, deep, very deeply hidden feelings with me and I appreciate the effort you went to for that. I had no idea you were so emotionally crippled. You looked like you had swallowed a toad! I thought you were going to barf on the carpet! Thanks for the laugh, I don't remember the last time I felt so light." She continued to dab at the tears in her eyes as she smiled at Tony.

Tony looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time and a grin slowly broke out on his face. "I'm glad my misery brought you joy. At least one of us got a kick out of it."

"Yeah, it was great. Maybe I'll paint the look on your face and give it to you so you can have a laugh too; I don't think I'll have trouble recalling the look. It was priceless." Mia had a wide smile on her face and Tony couldn't help but notice that she looked years younger than she had a few moments ago. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief and her smile was so big it was contagious. Before he knew it he found himself genuinely returning her smile.

"So…Tony, why are you really here? You left the base in such a hurry….I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Her smile was fading fast and Tony was disappointed it didn't last.

"Well, Yinsen is visiting me in Malibu and I thought maybe you'd like to come over too. Maybe look at a project I'm working on, see if you can help me out with it."

"So you just want me to help you when you need it, then when you're done with me I leave, is that it? I'm not here for your convenience." She got up and walked away to the kitchen. Tony got up and followed her.

She was facing the sink and Tony stood behind her a few feet away. "That's not it, you didn't hear me. I want you to come over. Not to work or help or anything. Just come over, stay at my place and relax. You can even set up a studio for your paintings and other projects. I'll give you a room for it, two if you want, just come visit for a while, my treat."

Mia turned around to face him, arms crossed. "That's it? Just pack up and go? What about my therapies and exercises and my place here? What about Maria?"

"Yes, pick up and go. We'll find you new therapists if you want them and your nurse Ratchet roommate can take care of herself. If you need help covering your rent I can take care of it. If she's worried about you she can come and visit, but no staying over. That's only for special guests." He waggled his eyebrows at her, eliciting a small laugh.

"First off, I bought this place, I'm not renting. Secondly I set up a joint account with Maria solely for the purpose of our shared expenses while we lived together and there's more than enough in the account to cover my half for this year and next. I don't need or want your money." She was getting flustered and embarrassed that he thought she needed help from him. She was in a bit of a slump but that didn't mean she couldn't take care of herself.

Tony paused for a moment before continuing on about how she should come over and be his special guest.

"Special huh? What makes you think I'm special enough to deserve a visit to the great Tony Starks mansion?"

"What? Are you kidding? Look around you! Your paintings are awesome, if somewhat gruesome. You're apparently a famous sculptor, you can write code and I want to see you smile more often. Plus, if I have you around I won't have to feel nearly as messed up since you are so obviously worse off than me."

"You are incorrigible Mr. Stark but you've got a deal on one condition." Tony studied her face, surprised and curious about what the condition could be.

"You have it. If it's in my power to give you've got it, whatever you want."

Tony strained his ears, not sure what he heard. "Sorry but what was that? I can't give you what you want if I can't hear you."

"A hug." Mia sighed as the tightness in her chest built up. "I want a hug."

Tony's eyes widened at her confession and his heart felt like it would burst when he heard the pain behind her simple request. He remembered how she couldn't stand to be touched when he last saw her but she had allowed him to hold her, carry her and support her.

Of all people, he could understand the need to be touched. All the women he had slept with in an attempt to ease the empty feeling in his heart.

"You have a strange look on your face again." Mia's confidence wavered and her anxiety level went up a notch. "I'm sorry I asked you something so stupid, you don't have to hug me, I'll visit you anyways." She turned away and was about to stand but before she could, Tony's arms were wrapped around her shoulders and she was pulled into his embrace. After a brief moment of panic she in turn, wrapped her arms around his waist. Her head was spinning from the sudden contact but she was grateful for the feeling of safety she seemed to find when she was in his arms. She felt safe, warm and cared for. This was how Happy and Pepper found the two of them when they came in to check up on their boss.


	11. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next day Mia was packing a small suitcase with some clothes while Maria sat on her bed talking to her.

"You're sure this is what you want? After what he did to you, you're going to give him another chance?" Maria paced the room while speaking with Mia who was busily packing a suitcase for her stay in Malibu.

Pausing but not looking up from her packing Mia thought about how to respond. She wasn't sure what she was doing or what she really wanted but she did want to see Yinsen again, make sure he was OK. She tried to convince herself that she wasn't going to visit Tony, she was going to see Yinsen. She moved back to her closet to grab more items.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what I want. When I was alone in the base hospital you were there for me. When I got back here everything was just so different. It was dark, painful, hard and lonely. You helped me start a new life and move forward and I'm so grateful for your friendship and support." Her eyes started tearing up a bit but she wouldn't let the tears fall.

"I know I still have a long way to go both physically and mentally but….when I saw Tony earlier I felt like a light had just been turned on inside me, like a sadness I didn't even realize I felt was suddenly gone. As much as he hurt me when he left me behind in Afghanistan I can't just ignore him. I don't think I can ignore anyone who needs my help." Mia sighed and sat on the corner of her bed, Maria sat beside her.

"What do you mean he needs your help? Is he asking you to do something for him? That jerk has no right to ask anything of you Mia, you don't owe him anything!" Maria balled her hands into fists where they sat in her lap, her anger at Tony rolling though her like a wave.

Mia took a breath and looked Maria in the eyes while holding her left hand in both of hers. "No, that's not it at all Maria. It's not easy to explain….he didn't out right ask me for anything, but when he looked at me...his eyes…they were different. He looked different from when he's photographed for magazines or when he's on TV, like he was broken, shattered. I've noticed the same look in my own eyes and I wouldn't wish the feelings behind that look on anybody.

"I think that he was trying to share his feelings, be honest about what he felt, he really sucked at it, and In fact he almost looked sick to his stomach…" Maria chuckled quietly to herself as she recalled the look on Tony's face that day before continuing.

"…but, what he didn't manage to say in words I could see in his eyes. I could see that he was hurting inside and I know I haven't told you much about my time in captivity but I believe that Tony's still really shaken up about what happened in there no matter how hard he tries to hide it. I don't know if going back to Malibu together will help him…or me, but I'm not getting much done here except for creating clutter." Mia motioned across the room at all the pieces littered around the apartment.

"You've put up with so much from me but I think that my going away for a while will be good for you too." Mia averted her eyes from Maria's questioning look. "I know I've been keeping you awake with my nightmares. You work long shifts at the hospital and then you come home to a place where you can't rest." Maria was about to say something but Mia cut her off. "Don't deny it, you've been patient with me but I can't be as patient with myself. You deserve a home where you can relax and sleep when you're tired. And what about Rick? You've been seeing each other for a couple months now but you can't bring him here because of me, because I freak out when I'm around guys. The therapist told me it could be months or years before I feel OK around the opposite sex again. You can't live here but spend all your time at his place; it's not fair to either of you."

"Mia, what am I going to do with you?" Maria placed her right hand over Mia's which were still clasping her left and gave a gentle squeeze until Mia looked up at her.

"I love you like the sister I never had and after all you've been through I understand your going to need time to heal, it doesn't bother me. You're kind, caring and always giving so much of yourself to others. I know you aren't naïve about the darker side of life but you still seem so clueless and innocent sometimes and I worry about you. From what you've told me it sounds like you've been needlessly hard on yourself but if you want to try something different and go to Malibu I support you one hundred percent. I'll miss you but I don't want you to feel trapped here." Both of them now had tears in their eyes and once look at the other they burst into tears and hugged each other tightly.

Once the crying was done Maria helped Mia finish packing her things. Tony had wanted to take off with Mia immediately, telling her that he'd buy her whatever she needed once they got to Malibu but she had insisted on packing up her own things and waiting a day to make sure she really wanted to go.

Tony would be there to pick her up any minute and she still wasn't done packing. Just as she and Maria managed to finish with her suitcase there was a knock on the door. Maria helped carry the suitcase to the entrance way before Mia opened the door to find Tony and Happy standing there. She'd briefly seen Happy the previous day when he'd come up with Pepper to collect the sculpture but standing in close proximity to the man she found her chest constricting with the onset of a panic attack.

Maria quickly noticing her roommate's tense stance slowly guided her away from the door and back into the apartment and took her place at the door. Looking at the two men, ready to blast Tony for frightening Mia she was surprised to see a quick flash of concern on Tony's face and her anger quickly dissolved into annoyance. Maybe the egotistical Tony Stark really did have a heart somewhere.

Maria passed Mia's suitcase to Happy and he looked at her with understanding and an apologetic look in his eyes before he left to place it into the car where he would wait with Pepper for Tony and Mia. He didn't take offense to Mia's reaction, knowing that she'd been through a lot.

Mia and Maria shared their final goodbyes and Mia waited in the hallway for Tony while he stayed behind so that Maria could have a few quick words.

Tony emerged a minute later looking ghastly and Mia chuckled knowing that Maria had probably scared the poor man with what was no doubt a very creative threat. Being a soldier and then a nurse Maria had seen her share of nastiness and if anyone dared to get on her bad side she never hesitated to let them know exactly what she would do to them if they didn't rectify their mistake.

With a burst of spontaneity Mia reached out to Tony and grabbed his arm, dragging him to the elevator with a grin plastered on her face. She would miss Maria while she was in Malibu but she felt good about going away for a while and was looking forward to seeing Yinsen again.

The elevator got down to the lobby uninterrupted but upon their arrival both were shocked to find reporters and paparazzi outside the front doors being held back by local police who had set up some barriers. Tony cursed about the lack of a lobby security guard but mentally thanked Pepper for her quick thinking in getting the police to keep the media hoard outside. "Alright Mia, welcome to my world." He waved at the crowd while smiling and posing for a few photos.

Mia looked at him, eyes wide and amazed at the fuss that was being made outside. "All those reporters are here because of you?"

"Well, I am pretty famous, but don't worry. I'm sure Pepper has a plan to get us out of here. Look, she's already called the cops to keep everyone out of the building." Tony pointed at the police trying to contain the crowd outside the modest building.

No sooner had he finished speaking that his cell phone rang, the call display showing Pepper was calling him. He hung up after only saying a quick OK and turned to Mia who was transfixed by the crowd outside. He ushered her to the fire escape door motioning for her to go through.

"Tony, these doors only open during a fire alarm, they're always locked from this side."

"Not today they aren't." Tony reached around Mia and pushed open the fire door. He smirked at the look on her face and together the two of them went through the building's machine room and emerged on the other side of the building where Happy and Pepper were waiting in the car.

Once situated in the limo and on the way to Malibu, Tony helped himself to a scotch and Pepper handed Mia a bottle of water.

"Thanks Pepper. Is it always a circus where Tony's involved?"

"No, more like a circus run by wild monkeys and Tony's the ring master." She smiled knowingly and ignored Tony's protest of 'Hey!'.

"Well, thanks for getting us out of there. I have no idea how you managed to get everything under control so quickly but thanks, really."

Pepper blushed at the praise, not used to being thanked for doing her job.

"Tony, don't you think Pepper did a great job of getting us out of the building?" Mia was sitting beside Pepper and across from Tony in the car, giving him a look that conveyed her annoyance at his cool attitude towards his PA.

"Wha…? Pepper? Yeah she was great, she always is." Tony agreed with Mia in his usual dismissive manner when it came to his PA.

Pepper blushed again, having never heard praise from her boss before, even if it wasn't one hundred percent sincere. Trying to stop blushing at the praise she tried to wave it off, motioning with her hand. "It was nothing; I do this kind of thing all the time."

"Well, thanks Pepper. I really don't know anything about Tony's life but if the crowd back there was any indication it seems like you have your hands full 24/7 and you deserve to be told you're doing a great job." Mia gave one last look to Tony and spent the remainder of the commute conversing with Pepper.


	12. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It was evening by the time Happy started to drive up to the Malibu mansion. Mia was wriggling nervously in her seat across from Tony, she wondered if it was too late to change her mind now.

Looking out at the pristine mansion with its elegant curves and contemporary flair Mia started panicking. She wasn't cut out for a place like this. In the car with her, Pepper was dressed in a pristine pencil skirt suit. Beside her Tony was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt with leather loafers. They looked comfortable and at ease with the business attire while her own outfit consisted of a no brand pair of yoga pants with a tank top and hoodie. Since this was supposed to be a vacation for her she had packed clothing of a similar caliber in her trunk with a couple of comfortable dresses that would look like trash bags compared with what Tony and Pepper would probably dress in on a day to day basis. She suddenly felt immensely underdressed and unsuited to her new surroundings.

The familiar tightness in chest grew stronger with each thought that ran through her head and she started feeling lightheaded due to her changed breathing pattern. She closed her eyes a moment to try to calm down and was so focused on calming herself she failed to notice that everyone had stepped out of the car and were waiting for her.

Mentally adding embarrassment to the list of other negative emotions she was feeling she took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. She wasn't sure what was expected of her during her stay but she reminded herself that home was only an hour's drive away. With that last thought she slowly stepped out of the car and was greeted by Tony. Pepper and Happy were nowhere to be seen and she was grateful. If Tony was annoyed or worried about the extra time she had spent in the car he tactfully kept his comments to himself as he led her to the house.

*0*0*0*0*

Mia stared wide eyed at the house. It seemed much larger now that she was standing in front of it and it was beautiful. The modern curves of the exterior and the mesh of classical and modern art styles blended together seamlessly and were lit up beautifully by a series of strategically placed lights.

Tony seemed to be amused by her reaction to the house but she wanted to take in every little detail.

"The house is beautiful; it's a giant sculpture you can live in. Who's the architect that designed it?" Mia's eyes kept following the walls, the roof, the lights, all the lines and surfaces on the outside of the house. The shape was unique and pleasing, it reminded her of the shells that littered the beach and the wooden decks of old pirate ships.

Mia kept admiring the architecture and Tony was standing in the doorway smirking at Mia. He shrugged while answering her question. "What architect? I designed this place myself."

At her look of surprise he continued to speak. "Don't look so surprised, they don't call me a genius for nothing. Now come in, it's getting late and dinner will be here soon. I want you to meet JARVIS."

Mia walked to the door and paused. "Who's Jarvis? I thought you lived alone?"

"Oh, I do when Pepper or Happy aren't using the guest rooms. JARVIS is Just A Really Very Intelligent System. He's an AI I created to remember someone by." Realizing he'd said or than intended Tony quickly waved away the comment and continued to lead Mia inside.

"An AI? A real one? It listens, learns and performs functions? Are you pulling my leg? What's it look like?"

Just then a disembodied voice spoke up. "I currently don't look like anything Miss Solomon as I don't have an avatar, but if you insist on associating me with a physical form you may refer to the mansion. I believe you already found it to be quite pleasing based on your earlier reaction prior to entering."

Mia was startled and it took a few moments for her to register what she had just heard. Was the house flirting with her? She blushed in embarrassment and looked at Tony with a cocked eyebrow. "I take it you programmed JARVIS based on your own personality?"

"Why not? I'm a perfect human being, so I thought I'd make a perfect AI too. Turned out rather well if I do say so myself."

"If you say so." Replied Mia with a roll of her eyes.

"So if he's a full AI where's his…..brain? I mean….he's still a program…" She looked up at the ceiling to mimic speaking to the house "no offense JARVIS".. then she turned back to Tony …"and if he's intelligent and able to learn the data must be stored somewhere. I'm guessing it's more than what a single server could accommodate. You might even need a whole room or even a special warehouse of servers depending on how much room JARVIS uses." Mia was looking around for wires, speakers, panels, anything that might give her a better idea of what made JARVIS.

Tony was staring at MIA with some wonder. No one had ever asked him about JARVIS and what he was made of. Most people were just impressed and left it at that but Mia was genuinely curious and had already made a very valid point. Tony quickly snapped out of his stupor and ran to catch up with Mia who had wandered out to the main living room.

"Huh. Funny you should ask about JARVIS. You're only half right with your guess. He doesn't fill one warehouse, he fills two but before you ask I can't tell you where. Its top secret and only JARVIS and I know the answer."

"What about RAM and power supply? How do you even begin to build JARVIS? I've been keeping an ear out for the latest I robotics and AI tech but even the most advanced AI out there can only parrot back pre-programmed answers and the only learning it's capable of is user preferences. Even with those limitations they use massive amounts of resources. How come JARVIS isn't splashed around in every tech magazine and website? If he's a fully functioning AI he's the first of his kind!"

JARVIS answered Mia's question before Tony managed to get a word in. "Miss Solomon, I am the only one of my kind, created by Mr. Stark to assist him in his day to day life. I am aware of the limitations of other AI programs but Mr. Stark and I don't believe it would be practical at this time to reveal myself to the world."

"Holy shit! You are intelligent! I didn't even ask you to say anything but you did…all on your own accord! JARVIS, you're incredible!"

"Thank you Miss Solomon."

Mia wasn't sure if JARVIS had a personality or anything that mirrored emotions but she could have sworn JARVIS sounded like he was 'glowing'.

Tony, feeling left out of the conversation decided to put an end to Mia's speculations about JARVIS for the time being. "Hey, enough flirting with the house already, if you're going to be amazed about JARVIS I'm the one you should be looking at; I did after all create him." Tony puffed out his chest, waiting for Mia to praise his genius.

"Well…..this is true, but since JARVIS is capable of learning and adapting what's to say he didn't evolve beyond your programming? If he has, then that means he deserves the credit for 'growing up' so to say." Mia had a teasing twinkle in her eyes as she finished her sentence. She didn't know what it was about this place but after all of Tony's thoughtfulness and 'meeting' JARVIS she felt much more at ease in the mansion. Maybe she would enjoy her time here after all.

Tony looked hurt for just a moment before he realized Mia was just teasing him. He returned her grin with one of his own and led her to the kitchen for a late dinner with Pepper and Happy. He just knew that this visit was going to be great. In a way, Mia reminded him of a younger, hotter Rhodey. She didn't hesitate to put him in his place and she didn't do whatever he wanted when he wanted. She set her own terms and set her own way.

It was almost a novelty to come across people who treated him like a regular guy. He was glad that Mia hadn't changed the way she was around him after getting a small glimpse into his life.


	13. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Boxes of Chinese takeout were being passed around and Tony was about to eat a piece of orange chicken when he suddenly realized that a few moments ago he had thought of Mia as being 'hot'. Where had that come from? Sure he cared for her, but he didn't want THAT kind of a relationship with her. Even if she was interested he couldn't let anything happen between the two of them. She was here to relax, recover, recuperate and be with friends.

He thought about Mia's friend Nurse 'Ratchet' Santos and shuddered at what she'd put him through if he dared to turn Mia into one of his one night stands. He also recalled what she had told him…that he wasn't good enough for Mia. Looking across the table and seeing her sitting there with those whom he considered family he swore he would never hurt her. She'd been hurt enough and so had he. Things didn't have to get complicated between the two of them, and they could just be friends.

"Tony, are you paying attention?"

Tony, pretending he didn't miss a beat quickly replied to Pepper in the positive. "Sure I'm paying attention. Whatever it is you said, its fine, don't worry about it."

"Great, so tomorrow morning Mia and I are heading out to yoga together. I'll have her back here long before Happy leaves to pick up Mr. Ho from the airport."

Tony actually had wanted to spend some time showing Mia his lab tomorrow morning but not wanting to admit he'd spaced out he conceded. He'd just wait until Yinsen got in and he'd show both of them what he'd been working on together.

Once everyone was done eating and everything was cleaned up Pepper and Happy went to their rooms instead of driving back to their apartments and Tony showed Mia the rest of the house. He noticed she looked pretty tired so he quickly just pointed out the pool area, games room and gym. By the time he was done she looked like she might collapse before getting to her room but he knew she was too stubborn to say anything.

"And on this floor there are five of the spare bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and the master suite at the end of the hall." Opening the second door on the left, Tony motioned for Mia to go in first. "And this will be your room for the duration of your stay at casa Stark." He waved over the large room with a flourish and waited for Mia to react. He wasn't disappointed, just as soon as he'd finished talking Mia's eyes widened and despite the exhaustion he could see in her face she managed to bring out a huge smile.

"All this…for me? Are you sure?" Tony frowned at the uncertainty in her voice. "Of course it's for you. You're my guest and I Tony Stark take care of his guests." He was about to show her how to access JARVIS and how to use some of the features of the room but she was so awed she ran around the suite then sat to bounce on the bed then got up and into the bathroom, checked out the walk in closet and admired the view of the ocean. Tony stood in place, arms across his chest, amusement etched on his face. He shrugged and decided what he had to say could wait, he didn't want to interrupt the moment of excitement she was having.

Mia felt like this wasn't real, any moment now she would wake up and be alone, back in the dark cave. She found it so hard to believe that one moment she was just trying to get through a single day and now, in the last few hours she'd seen and experienced so many new things. Her heart was just welling up with emotions and tears were forming in her eyes from all the mixed emotions she'd experienced the last couple of days. In a rare moment of happiness she turned to Tony and caught him in an unexpected but not unpleasant hug.

Tony was amused at first and enchanted at Mia's almost childlike urge to explore her new surroundings, but now she had him in her arms and he stiffened not knowing how to react. Was he supposed to hug her back? If so, how long should her hug her for? Should he hug her over the shoulders or around the waist? What if she got the wrong idea?

By the time Tony had finally decided to react, Mia had already released him and he was disappointed at the loss of her warmth. He covered it up by quickly saying good night and left for the night. He'd see her tomorrow after she returned from yoga with Pepper.

*0*0*0*

Tony was woken up from his own nightmare by the sound of a terrified scream. At first he didn't move from his position in the bed thinking he was still dreaming but after a moment he heard a second scream and realized he wasn't dreaming.

"Jarvis, what's going on?" He had a pretty good idea and was already making his way to Mia's room down the long hallway but wanted it confirmed before he went barging in.

"Sir, Miss Solomon seems to be in a state of distress while asleep and my attempts at waking her have been unsuccessful."

Tony got to the door but found it locked. "Jarvis, unlock the door!" The electronic lock was released quickly and Tony ran into the dimly lit room quickly striding to the bed. He stood near Mia and gently nudged her awake. As he had expected, she woke up swinging and Tony was wise to quickly move out of her arms reach.

"It's OK Mia, your safe here, in Malibu, remember?" He made his way back to her side and gently laid his hand on her back. Shhhh…" Tony spoke gently and stroked Mia's back, saddened by slight flinch she gave when he first placed his hand on her back. He murmured soothing words as her breathing slowed. She must have been more exhausted than he thought because after only a minute or two she calmed down and went back to sleep. She didn't even look at him and he wondered if she'd really been awake or even if she would remember the episode come morning.

He left the room quietly and asked JARVIS to turn off the lights and lock the door back up again. "Sir, the door has been locked but Miss Solomon specifically chose to have the room slightly illuminated. Would you still prefer that the lights be turned off?"

"Nah, leave 'em however she wants, goodnight JARVIS." Having plenty of experience himself when it came to nightmares Tony climbed back into his own bed and dozed off. Hoping not to be woken again either by Mia's nightmares or his own.

"Goodnight sir."


	14. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I lay on my back staring at the ceiling of the yoga studio. Beside me, Pepper is sitting up, rolling up her mat. I don't know why, but today I felt like challenging myself and opted for a Hot Yoga class. The travelling in the car, all the sitting and lack of stretching yesterday cramped up my muscles and the heat felt soothing and helped me stretch more effectively. The downside was that I was now dripping with sweat and needed to shower before leaving.

We'd rented towels and Pepper assured me the gym provided great soaps and shampoos in the locker rooms but I found myself hesitating to get up.

Most of the class had already filed out and I could tell Pepper was concerned that I didn't seem to be moving. The truth was that I didn't want anyone to notice my scars. I'd worn full tights to the class but my feet were bare and my top still showed my arms. I could tell when I took off my hoodie in the locker room that Pepper was surprised at the scars she could see and during the class I noticed a vibe of sorts from the instructor when she came by to help me with a stance.

I knew I couldn't stay on the floor much longer as there was probably another class scheduled and the studio needed to be cleaned. I took a deep breath and sat up slowly before rolling up my own mat.

When we arrived at the locker room it was thankfully not too busy. Either most of the class was already finished with their shower or had opted to shower at home. "That was a great class wasn't it?" Pepper looked at me hoping I enjoyed the class. I nodded to show my agreement but didn't say anything.

I scrounged around in my bag, organizing everything to ensure I could grab it quickly and get dressed. I glanced at Pepper and she'd already stripped and wrapped herself in a towel and was waiting for me. I glanced at her in the towel and was momentarily envious of her smooth freckled skin. I pushed the envy aside and quickly stripped as well. I wasn't as comfortable in my body like Pepper seemed to be in hers and wanted this to be over quickly. I saw a look of shock on Pepper's face but she covered it up quickly and we walked to the showers together.

There were individual stalls with shower heads and each had a solid door. I was glad for the privacy and actually relaxed considerably in the shower.

When I got out, Pepper was already dressed and toweling her hair. She glanced at me and seemed like she wanted to speak but didn't know what to say.

"It's alright if you look at them. They're not pretty and they're hard to ignore but they're a part of me now and we'll be seeing a lot of each other while I'm staying with Tony." I paused and dressed quickly while Pepper turned away and dried her hair. You know where I've been, you've seen what happened to Tony." I paused and looked down sadly for a moment before continuing. "It shouldn't be a surprise to you that I've got some scars too." The last part was said with some anger and I did my best to keep control of the emotion.

Pepper looked at me as she put aside the towel and combed her hair quickly. She then placed her comb on the counter and turned to me. "I'm sorry. At Tony's request I did do a bit of research on your condition but all that was on paper and I didn't know you. Not really. Now, you're here. You're in front of me and it's all more real." Her eyes were looking pink and watery but I could see she was trying not to cry.

Pepper's words stung a bit. She made me feel like an object she'd just read about and discarded. In that moment she seemed so sheltered from what had happened to Tony, to me and everyone else that had been in those hellish caves and I wanted to make her jaded, make her see, tell her what had transpired in those caves but I knew I shouldn't. I had been like her before.

I had read about human trafficking, people being captured by terrorists, being killed on video. I'd seen the news programs, read the news articles about their families' reactions and tears. None of it had been real to me either and I would love to turn back the clock, be less jaded again. I hated the way I was now and shouldn't yell at Pepper for something she couldn't control. I combed my own hair while I spoke with her, realizing now that she hadn't meant to offend me. She looked shocked but she also looked sad. She looked like her world had been altered a bit this morning and she didn't know how to handle it.

My heart went out to her and I felt bad for my momentary annoyance. In a rare move, I stepped closer to the taller woman and opened my arms. Pepper embraced me tightly and whispered in my ear. "I hate Tony for leaving you and I think you're the strongest person I've ever met. I'm really glad we came here together today and I hope we can continue to spend time together." She gave me a final squeeze before releasing me and hastily wiped at her face embarrassed.

*0*0*0*

Tony awoke from his uneasy sleep and lay in his bed. The sun was up in the sky and the sound of heels clacking towards his room couldn't be heard. He turned around and checked the time on the night table then sank back down into the fluffy sheets. It seemed that Pepper wasn't around and Tony found that odd. He lay in the bed and called out to the ceiling. "JARVIS, where is everyone?"

The deep tinny voice replied quickly. "Miss Potts and Miss Solomon left at 6:30 this morning to attend a class at the yoga studio and Mr. Hogan was asked to drive them."

Tony grunted and got out of the bed and cleaned up. He walked to the kitchen to find some food and looked into the fridge. He ran a hand down his face and after closing the fridge door and coming up empty handed. Pepper usually had food for him. "When will they be back?"

"Miss Potts and Miss Solomon are currently walking to the front door sir and will reach it in approximately 11.5 seconds."

"Great, maybe Pepper brought me something to eat; all I can find in the kitchen is tea." Tony headed to the front door, rubbing his hands in anticipation of sustenance. Pepper and Mia had just come in; both were smiling and sipping their water from their sports bottles. Mia spoke up before Tony had a chance to speak.

"Good morning. Here, Pepper said you liked this place so I picked up a little something for you. I know it's not much, but Pepper insisted on using your card to pay for the class this morning so…" She looked down while holding out a bag from the Coffee Bean, looking insecure and scared? Why was she scared?

After a sharp look from Pepper, Tony grabbed the bag, smiling. "Smells great and the Coffee Bean is my favorite place at the market. Thanks."

Mia looked up with a smile; glad Tony seemed pleased with the food. "You're welcome. So, um….I'm going to head up and sort out my bag if that's OK."

"Of course it's OK, mi casa et su casa" Tony continued to smile and gestured the surroundings with an over enthusiastic wave of his arm.

Mia nodded quickly and disappeared up the stairs leaving Pepper and Tony in her wake.

*0*0*0*

I unpacked my sweaty yoga gear and tossed it into the hamper before it sat too long in my bag. It wasn't even noon yet and today had already been emotionally draining for me. I flopped forward onto the fluffy bed and groaned in embarrassment. I should have thought things through more carefully when I agreed to go to yoga with Pepper. I was embarrassed about the talk I'd had with her and now about my awkward exchange with Tony when I gave him the food.

We'd gone to a place called 'The Market' which was a collection of cafes and shops. I wanted to get something for Pepper, Happy and Tony to say thanks for the generosity and finally convinced Pepper to let me treat them. Despite the emotional toll it took on me the talk with Pepper had been good for us and I'm happy to have made a new friend. I just wish I wasn't so awkward all the time. I'm always fighting with myself to be 'normal'.

I eventually stopped my little pity party and headed down the hall to the stairs leading down to the main floor.

*0*0*0*

Downstairs, Tony and Pepper were standing facing each other. Pepper had left her bag in the car and was holding her usual clipboard. Tony was holding the bag Mia had given him but he was unhappy about something. "Walk with me Ms. Potts." Tony had dropped the smile and started making his way to the workshop not looking back but expecting to have his PA following.

Pepper frowned at her boss's formal use of her name. He usually only did so in public or when he wanted to have a serious discussion about something. She followed him to his workshop while he ate his breakfast. By the time he got to the small kitchenette in the basement Tony had finished eating and tossed the wrapper into a wastebasket. His expression was serious and he didn't immediately turn on the loud music. This was different.

After helping him change the reactor in his chest, Pepper felt like things had changed between the two of them. She knew it was wrong but after coming back from Afghanistan Tony had been different, more serious, darker and often brooding. She wanted to help him, not only in a professional capacity but on a personal level as well. At first she thought that Tony also wanted to explore a closer relationship but over the weeks, she had instead found herself spending more time with Hogan away from work and the relationship with Tony had grown into one between family members. It was strange to hear him call her by her last name in such a serious tone and it had caught her a little off guard. She was worried until he leaned up against the counter, hands now holding a cup of coffee from the machine in the workshop.

Although his tone had sounded formal she could tell with one look into his eyes that he was either worried or concerned about something. Quickly connecting the dots she realized that her once careless, playboy, immature boss who had never cared about anyone but himself appeared to be worried about Mia.

After he'd been rescued a few months ago, he'd taken the time to separately speak with Pepper, Happy, even Rhodey. In his own way he'd let them know he cared about them and he counted them as family. Seeing him leaning against the counter the way he was now, the worry in his eyes Pepper realized that he also wanted Mia and maybe even Yinsen to be part of his rag tag family. He had after all invited him to the mansion as well.

"How were things with Mia this morning?" He looked Pepper in the eyes as he asked and she could see this was a loaded question that couldn't be answered with just one word. She sighed and leaned up against the counter beside him.

"The morning went well. She seemed a little tired but otherwise alright. It wasn't easy convincing her to let me pay for the class this morning and afterward she insisted on buying you breakfast herself as thanks. She seemed unnecessarily worried about picking just the right item for you" She gave a small shrug and Tony looked at her and indicated for her to go on.

"She has scars on her body, the worst of them on her back and I think the soles of her feet. As we suspected, since she didn't use any of the offered funds, it didn't look like she had any plastic surgery done to hide or remove her scars but I don't think it was because of finances. I'm sure her persona as Sulla brings in plenty of money had she wanted to have them removed, not to mention your offer of financial support towards her recovery. She didn't try to hide outright to hide anything at yoga and some people stared but she seemed indifferent to their reactions. Or at least I thought she was." She sipped her coffee and continued. "We talked after the class. You were a real ass leaving her like you did."

The words were angry but they were stated calmly and matter of fact more than in anger. Tony had no response and accepted Pepper's words as the truth. He nodded in agreement. He was a genius and always thought he was right but in this instance he knew that in spite of his intelligence he'd been really stupid. Pepper continued after Tony nodded.

"Otherwise she seems OK. She looked sad when she thought no one was paying attention but as soon as anyone looks at her or as soon as I start talking with her she smiles and continues like everything is OK. She doesn't want to show her sadness and it's an admirable trait but I hope in time she'll talk about what's going on in her head. She isn't the only one that needs to heal."

Tony's eyes widened momentarily at Peppers blatant words but then sighed deeply and thanked Pepper. She left to get cleaned up while Tony moved around gathering parts and tools.

Mia was feeling better as she made her way to the main floor.

At first she thought she'd only be in Malibu for a short visit but Pepper had informed her in the car that Tony was hoping she'd stay at least a couple of months. She'd been surprised to hear that but she was happy she'd be able to stay and really enjoy everything in Malibu without feeling rushed.

She made a mental note to call home and speak with Maria so she wouldn't worry. She'd called yesterday once she arrived and on her side of the conversation, Maria was smiling at hearing the happiness in her friend's voice but Mia had to cut the call short once her phone indicated the battery was running low.

She was on the main floor but Tony nor Pepper were around so she went back to her room quickly to take care of some things.

Now she needed internet access but didn't want to use her phone since it was in roaming mode. She looked up uncertainly and called out. "JARVIS are you there?"

"How may I assist you Miss Solomon?" The smooth baritone of JARVIS' voice came out of the various speakers inside the ceiling of the room.

"I need to look some things up and need internet access. Is there a computer or laptop I can use? She felt a bit strange sitting on the bed and talking up at the ceiling but at least there was no one around.

"The surface of your night table is smart glass and can be used to access the internet. However I can also assist you with any inquiries you need to make."

"Oh, OK." Mia had woken up very early in the morning, unable to sleep she had stayed in bed and asked JARVIS all sorts of strange questions about whatever popped into her head. He had been able to answer all the logical questions and had made suggestions regarding some of the more bizarre questions like 'Why is it called chilli even though it's served hot?" She felt silly for not having realized that JARVIS could probably help her find what she needed much more efficiently than an internet search.

"OK, I need to find a few things. Firstly I'd like to purchase some classes at the yoga studio Pepper took me to this morning. If they have a website, please pull it up on the smart glass so that I can do so." She sat on the side of the bed looking down at the table, the page came up and JARVIS spoke up.

"I have located the web site but purchasing classes won't be necessary. Mr. Stark has offered to cover all your expenses for the duration of your stay. Miss Potts already purchased a month of classes for you to use at your convenience earlier today."

Mia's heart lurched and she felt tightness in her chest. Why would Pepper and Tony buy things for her? She wasn't worth the effort, they should keep the money for themselves, not spend it on her. She had cash and plastic in her wallet, she could buy her own things, and they shouldn't worry about her. She felt terrible and decided she would speak with Pepper and Tony about buying the classes for her next time she came across them.

"Um….thanks JARVIS. I'd also like to know when Yinsen's plane will be landing. Are we going to pick him up at the airport?"

"Mr. Stark has asked to retrieve Mr. Ho upon his arrival. He is estimated to be arriving at the house around 7pm."

Mia looked at the time displayed on her phone. It was currently 11:30am. "OK. Next, I need to find a physical therapist in the area. I don't know if Tony's alright with the therapist coming here so find someone who works out of their own office, not a gym and not a clinic. I like a nice atmosphere when I go in for physio. I'd also like the therapist to be female and specialize in police and military rehabilitation. It would be ideal if you could find one within 20 miles of this location. "

She didn't say she wanted someone who wouldn't stare at her scars and make her feel like a freak or worse yet pity her. Back home, Maria had found Lenny to help Mia with her physical rehabilitation but she couldn't ask Lenny to come to Malibu multiple times a week and she certainly wasn't going to drive an hour each time to Lenny's practice.

"Oh! One more thing JARVIS, would you please arrange a cab every Wednesday afternoon at 2pm, including today? I'll need to head back to LA to see my therapist and volunteer at the Children's hospital."

"Very well Miss Solomon."

"Thank you JARVIS, you've been a great help."

"It was my pleasure Miss Solomon."

"One more thing JARVIS. Please call me Mia."

"As you wish Mia."

In the workshop Tony was in a foul mood after his talk with Pepper and wanted a scotch but grabbed a bottle of chlorophyll instead as he worked. Of course he wasn't surprised to hear that Mia bared scars from her time held in Afghanistan but it still angered him that she had been captured and ended up with those scars, the reminders of her captivity because of his weapons.

Once he got her and Yinsen down to the workshop to help, his plan to put things right would go much more quickly. So far he had the power supply via the new chest piece that was now keeping him alive. Secondly he had completed sketches for his plans. Thanks to JARVIS all his files could be accessed anywhere he wanted but it was much more convenient to have them in one of his workshops where he had access to holographic projectors.

"JARVIS, how long until Yinsen gets here?"

"By my estimate he will be here by 7pm today."

Tony looked at the watch on his wrist and nodded to himself. He also realized it had been over an hour since Pepper and Mia had returned. Deciding to find Mia he locked up the workshop and headed up to the main level.

Mia was pouring hot water into a mug with a tea bag as Tony came up to the kitchen. She looked comfortable and he was pleased she seemed to be well. He didn't know if he should bring up her nightmare from last night or not but his guess was that she probably didn't remember last night and if their time in the cave was any indication she wouldn't want to talk about it even if she did. She looked up at his arrival.

"Hi Tony. How are you? Sorry I rushed off earlier. How was breakfast?" She left the tea bag in the mug and tentatively sipped at the hot contents after the series of quick fire questions.

*0*0*0*

Doh! Why can't I just be normal? I need to breath. Breath….calm down and speak at a normal speed. Why do I feel so flustered?

*0*0*0*

"Jumping right in, I like it! Hi, I'm great, no problem, it was superb as all things from The Coffee Bean are." He leaned up against the kitchen counter and watched the surprise in her expression.

She gave a slight chuckle at his response and smiled his way. "I'm glad. So….today's Wednesday….did you want to do anything during the day or do you have to go to work?"

Tony stood straight and struck a ridged pose with hands on his waist. "Hey, I'm the boss; no one tells me when I have to work." He smirked at her and just then Pepper rounded the corner dressed for work and holding a bunch of paperwork out for Tony to sign. Tony cupped a hand over his mouth and pretended to whisper to Mia. "Except for Pepper…she always makes me work. I think she'd tie me to a desk if she didn't know I could get out of it."

"Right you are Mr. Stark." Stated Pepper as she walked into the room with a professional air about her. "I need you to sign all these and we have a board meeting at three to discuss Stark Industries' new direction." She held out some papers and checked her smartphone for emails.

Flipping through the pages of documents not seeming to read any of it Tony made a stink about having to go to the office and tried to use Mia's visit as an excuse to skip out on the board meeting.

At Pepper's look Mia spoke up actually glad to have an excuse to step out. "Actually, I have some errands I run on Wednesday's and everything happened so fast I didn't have enough notice to move things around. Why don't you and Pepper go to work and I'll take a cab to run my errands? I can meet you at your office and we can head back here just before Happy comes back from the airport."

The plan was agreed on and everyone left to go their own ways. The only change was that Tony insisted Mia not take a cab. He first offered to loan her a car but at her refusal took a car himself with Pepper as the passenger and had Happy drive Mia around.

*0*0*0*

I looked up at the impressive glass building I was standing in front of. Behind me, Happy had already left to pick Yinsen up at the airport. He'd told me to walk to the desk and tell them my name and that I was there to see Tony. He'd offered to walk me up but I knew he'd get stuck in traffic if he didn't leave for the airport soon so, from the comfort of the car I'd told him I'd be fine, now I wasn't so sure.

There were people milling about everywhere. Some were coming, some were leaving. A few were sitting on the benches conversing.

I'd been hiding away in my apartment once I'd been released from the hospital but now I was in Malibu and didn't want to hide any more. I took a breath and walked into the building through one of the four rotating doors.

*0*0*0*

Mia walked into the grand lobby of the building making a beeline for the security desk and doing her best to ignore the people around her. The young man behind the desk pointed her to a smaller desk to the side. Apparently she'd have to speak with the person behind that desk to go up to the upper floors where Tony's office was.

Fifteen minutes later Mia was still standing at the desk trying to convince the woman behind it that Tony was expecting her. As soon as she was turned away the first time she reached for the cell phone to call Tony directly but quickly realized she'd left it behind while it charged. She'd tried to ask the woman to call Tony or even Pepper to confirm she was expected but the woman would only say that both were unavailable.

"Please, just call or email either Tony or Pepper and they'll confirm what I'm telling you. I wouldn't be wasting my time or yours unless I had a reason to be here."

"I'm sorry but I've already told you I won't interrupt either of them. Please leave I have a lot of work to complete before my shift's over for the day."

Mia slumped her shoulders in defeat and was going to ask if there was somewhere she could go to wait when she felt a heavy and unfamiliar hand on her shoulder.

She instinctively flinched and turned around to find a security guard right in her face. She stepped back only to hit the desk she had been facing just moments ago. The feeling of being trapped paired with her frustration of trying to find Tony made her feel lightheaded as her breathing sped up.

She took a quick step to the side to get some space between herself and the guard only to have him grip her elbow. The guard wasn't being rough; he was just going to escort her out. She knew this in her head but, before she even realized it she had started hyperventilating.

The security guard placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to him. "Maam, are you alright? Do you require medical attention?"

The guard's words fell onto deaf ears as Mia suddenly found herself immersed in a flashback of her time in captivity. The smell of rotten damp mattresses, putrid living conditions and constant fear and what would happen next.

Mia violently shrugged off the security guard's hands and turned away to leave but another guard who had previously remained at the security desk also came over to help his partner and Mia bumped into him hard. The first guard pulled her back his hands were strong on her shoulders, preventing her from leaving quickly as she would have liked.

At the feeling of being restrained Mia let out a panicked gasp and lashed out without thinking and struggled to get free. She succeeded, only to have the second guard grab her from behind in a bear hold. Feeling completely trapped she was on the verge of hysterics when Pepper walked into the scene. She had received a call from Happy informing her that Mia had been dropped off but when 20 minutes had passed and Mia hadn't come through the elevator doors Pepper became concerned and decided to check the lobby herself.

She heard a scuffle and saw two security guards restraining a woman. She turned to the woman manning the desk for the executive floors.

"Rosemarie, what's going on here?" Pepper asked the receptionist holding her hand to her mouth while she watched the two guards struggle with the now screaming woman.

Rosemarie turned quickly in her chair to respond. "I'm so sorry Miss Potts but that woman came here asking to see Mr. Stark and wouldn't take no for an answer. Security was just about to guide her off the premises when she became hostile."

Pepper's mouth hung open in recognition as the guard turned around with a still struggling Mia in his arms, screaming and crying to be released. "Mia!"

"Rosemarie, call Tony and get him down here now!" Rosemarie was about to remind Pepper that Tony was in a meeting but Pepper shushed her and told her to get Tony to the lobby even if she had to pull the fire alarm.

Pepper ran to the guards in her heels in an attempt to get things under control. "Put her down this instant! Since when do we manhandle the people who come in here?" She was angry at the treatment Mia had received and was worried about the woman's current state of panic.

The guard restraining Mia didn't let go of the struggling woman and the other guard started arguing with Pepper. "Maam, this woman here is dangerous and the police have been called in. Just step back and we'll have things here under control shortly.

Pepper seethed as her cheeked flushed red as her hair. "I know the woman your partner is restraining and she is a welcome and expected guest of Tony Stark. She isn't dangerous and she's not going anywhere, now put her down this instant!" She stomped a foot to emphasize her point and was preparing to take off a heel and beat the guards since it didn't look like they were listening to her.

The guard was going to argue again when a loud, deep and angry voice reverberated through the lobby stopping everyone in their tracks. "What the hell is going on here? Get your damn hands off of her!" Tony was standing a few feet away, eyes wide and hair a bit mussed from the speed at which he came down to the lobby. He ran to Mia and wrestled her away from the guards and held her to his chest. He recognized the unfocused look in her eyes and sat her down right on the floor of the lobby while still holding her.

In the background Pepper sent the guards away with instructions to send the police away as they were coming in and to clear the lobby for some privacy.

Tony and Mia had sank down until they were sitting on the cool marble of the floor. Mia was shaking and murmuring and Tony was doing his best to soothe her. "Shh, shh. You're OK now the cave is gone, no one's going to touch you again, it's OK, shhhh." Tony held her somewhat awkwardly and continued to murmur words of comfort as he stroked her head with one hand and held her with the other. His eyes were wide and his motions were jerky as he tried to comfort Mia. He'd never willingly stuck around for something so emotional before and he didn't know what to do or say.

*0*0*0*

The last few weeks were gone and I was in the cave again. All I could see were the animals that hurt me as I relived the pain they'd inflicted on me. I screamed for them to go away but they wouldn't let go. It was too much, my eyes were feeling heavy but then I heard a voice in the distance.

It was familiar and comforting. Soon the monsters were gone and I was in the cell with Tony as he held me. I cried as he held me and he stroked my back and tried to comfort me.

*0*0*0*

He held her tightly as she came back to the present and cried into his chest. He felt relieved when he felt her relax in his hold and he felt drained with the effort of comforting her.

He wanted to know how this happened and why he was holding a sobbing Mia. He looked to Pepper for an explanation and saw that she was furiously pointing and indicating to something on the reception desk. Her fiery temper was obviously out in full force as she laid into the receptionist for not allowing Mia to come up. He was sure he could leave the situation in her hands while he cared for Mia.

"I'm sorry Tony; I don't know what happened, how things got so out of control." Mia's voice was hoarse from crying and muffled by Tony's shirt.

"It's OK, I don't know what happened either but no one should have laid a hand on you. You were supposed to be led right over to the express elevators; I left very specific details at the desk myself when I came in." The last part was voiced loudly enough that Rosemarie flinched from where she sat behind her desk.

Mia chuckled when she realized that Tony wasn't blaming her at all for the scene. Whether it was done intentionally or not she was grateful and she pressed her face into his shirt and took a deep breath to try calming down.

The hum of the reactor in his chest and the familiar comfort of his embrace were a balm to her injured mental state and she was grateful. "Thank you Tony for finding me but I think I ruined your shirt." She looked at his shirt as she wiped at her face but didn't seem too bothered by the soiled state of his shirt.

"Don't worry about a few tears, it'll dry up fine."

Mia chuckled while hiding her face in his arms and Tony was puzzled until she spoke. "I wasn't talking about tears." She was quietly shaking with giggles but tears continued down her face and wet Tony's shirt further.

"Eeeew! You snotted on me! Now my image is forever ruined. A beautiful woman cried in my arms and got her buggers all over my favorite Hugo Boss jacket and I don't even care."

Mia stiffened his arms and Tony winced at his unintentional use of the word beautiful. He'd only been around her for about a day since their escape and he couldn't stop thinking about her but he didn't ever plan on voicing those thoughts and wished he could take back what he'd said before he crossed a line that he couldn't return from.

"You think I'm pretty?" Tony winced internally as she questioned his words. Of course she'd pick up on that.

"No, I said beautiful, and yes I do but I don't think the lobby floor is a good place to hold this conversation. Let's head on up and relax for a bit before heading to the house." Now that the word was out there he might as well go with it and hope everything would be alright. He didn't want to lose her as a friend.


	15. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The trip to the top floor was uneventful in the private elevator as Tony continued to offer comfort to Mia with an arm around her and Pepper stood to the side obviously still upset about what had happened. Upon their arrival to Tony's office Pepper showed Mia where she could clean up a bit and calm down.

After thanking Pepper and doing her best to assure her she was fine Mia stood inside the spacious private bathroom. It was clean, Spartan and non-personal. She took a look in the mirror and flushed even darker when she noticed how blotchy her skin had become from crying. She turned on the tap and splashed some cold water on her face, glad she had opted not to wear makeup in the morning.

She toweled off using one of the clean hand towels on the counter and then discarded it into the nearby hamper assuming that's what it was for.

Knowing she couldn't hide in the bathroom forever Mia took a deep breath and stepped out of the private bathroom and into Tony's giant sized office.

She looked around and saw that Pepper wasn't there and Tony was tapping away on the keyboard at the desk. "Oh! Where's Pepper?"

Tony powered down the computer and walked Mia over to a couple of comfortable looking chairs where they sat face to face across from one another. "She's sitting in for me with the board so we can have some time to talk."

"Oh, OK." She looked down at her hands and spoke. "About what you said in the lobby, thinking I was a beautiful woman….You've always said I looked like a skinny coat rack…."

"I love how you just get right to it, no skittering around or starting off slow. I can respect that and I'll do the same. "He shifted in the seat before continuing.

"Now I'm not saying this because of my ego but you know I was a playboy, I've been with models, actresses and beautiful women and I took it for granted. I would use them and get rid of them; I don't even remember most of their names. So after being around so many good looking women you should know that when I say you're beautiful I know what I'm talking about."

Mia was sitting stiffly in the chair, not looking up at Tony, a deep blush on her cheeks. Tony, having never cared about someone quite like he did for Mia wasn't sure if he should keep talking but at Mia's continued silence decided to keep going.

"If you'll let me I'd like to be your friend and let's admit you could do a lot worse than a millionaire, genius, and philanthropist." Mia chuckled as he continued.

"I know you aren't ready for more right now and I don't think I'm ready for anything more than friendship right now either but maybe someday we could be more but first and foremost I want to be friends."

Mia was sitting nervously and not making eye contact with Tony which was making him nervous too. He didn't do nervous! Mia was changing him and he didn't know what the end result would be but he didn't want it to stop. He was putting himself out there which was something that he never did but, he was doing it for her and he hoped she wouldn't reject him.

Mia had no way of knowing what Tony was truly like for the last 20 or so years of his life but as she looked at him she saw the fear of rejection in his eyes, the tired lines on his face from nightmares that haunted him like they haunted her and the barest glimpse of desperation for something she couldn't put her finger on. After having spent time in his home and now seeing his office, Mia was beginning to understand some of what Yinsen had mentioned back in the caves about Tony being alone and now she was beginning to understand.

Mia finally spoke, her voice barely audible. "Tony, I'd love to be your friend. Always. But there's something I need to tell you and if you don't hate me when I'm done we'll be friends. I can't promise anything beyond friendship right now but no matter what, even if you don't want me I'll always be here for you if you ask." Mia felt panicked; her heart was beating fast and hard in her chest as she dove right into her tale.

Tony was about to speak but Mia stopped him. "What I'm about to tell you is going to be difficult to tell and just as difficult to believe but I think I'll start with a demonstration of sorts to prove what I say is true. I find logic minded people prefer hard evidence. I can't prove everything but I can show you a bit."

Tony was leaning forward in his seat, puzzled and curious about what Mia had to say but also a bit suspicious. He thought he could trust her and now he was afraid his trust had been misplaced and that he'd been manipulated. He didn't think he could ever hate her and he wanted to tell her to keep the story to herself if it was difficult but he could see that the burden of her story was heavy so he let her continue.

Mia's expression looked pained momentarily but before Tony could say anything she tried again. "Tony, I'm not sure what you've done to your arm but please take off your jacket and roll up the sleeve on your left arm."

The man was surprised and it was written all over his face. "What? How do you know there's something wrong with my arm? No one else noticed."

"I'll tell you in a moment. Now, the arm?"

Wanting to find the answer to his question, Tony rolled up his sleeve, exposing the scrapes and bruises left on his arm from testing the gauntlets earlier in the day. He'd placed some messy butterfly stitches in the deepest parts not caring if he was going to have a scar.

Mia didn't look surprised at seeing the injured arm and simply spoke in a slow and carefully controlled voice while gripping his arm. "OK, now I need you to trust me and not move your arm away. It might feel weird but you won't be harmed. I'm going to have my right hand on your arm while I hold out my left arm beside yours. Watch your arm and watch mine. Do you understand?" Tony was confused but nodded anyways and held his arm out fully indicating for her to continue.

Mia placed her hand on his arm. It felt strong and stable under her touch as she concentrated on the injuries.

Tony didn't know what to expect and felt a bit silly but suddenly his arm felt warm, almost hot but as promised he didn't pull away.

Mia was staring intently at his arm and when nothing happened after a minute, he was about to speak up but suddenly his arm got real hot, real fast. He instinctively tugged it back a little but then remembered what Mia had said and forcefully held it still. It wasn't quite hot enough to burn but enough to be worrisome especially since he didn't know where the heat was coming from.

Tony watched his arm. Were his bruises fading? He wasn't sure at first but as he kept looking he was certain the bruises were fading and it didn't stop there. Once the bruises were almost all gone, the scrapes and scratches also started shrinking. He felt them itch like crazy and focused hard on keeping the arm still.

This was incredible! He looked up to Mia and saw she looked like she was hurting. She caught his gaze and motioned with her eyes that he should look at the arm she was holding out.

Tony was shocked to see her skin darkening with bruises and being torn up by some invisible foe. What was going on? Was she hurting herself?

More suddenly than it started the heat stopped suddenly and his arm felt cool as it adjusted to the room's temperature.

He looked at his arm, now smooth and undamaged. He ran his hand over it and poked at it, peeled off the stitches. It felt perfect, there were no bruises, scratches or cuts. Then he looked at Mia's arm. All his injuries were there but they looked different somehow, not quite as severe as they had been seconds ago.

"What did you just do to me?" He whispered urgently as he looked at Mia in awe and some fear.

At his whispered question Mia winced. He sounded upset. She knew he wouldn't accept what she could do but he was still sitting there, staring at her. He hadn't gotten up and left or called her a freak outright so she started her story.

"This is what I do Tony. This is why the Ten Rings were keeping me around." She took a sip of water from a bottle on the table.

"I learned after I was captured that someone I'd helped had told the Ten Rings about what I did for him. They came after me and killed everyone with me to capture me and make me work for them. Everyone who had been so kind to me and let me travel with them was killed because of me. I killed them!"

Tears were building up in her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. She would cry after she was done. After Tony tells her to get out of his sight.

"They had accumulated a lot of injuries and didn't have a doctor on hand, just a simple medic. The person who turned me in had been delirious and bleeding badly before I got to him, before I helped him. He'd told them I could perform miracles and bring back the dead, he exaggerated what I could do so that his family would be allowed to leave the village and be spared the slaughter that was taking place.

As you already know I understand spoken Arabic and after being captured the man who turned me in was brought to me to confirm to the captors I was who he claimed I was. He told them it was me but they wanted proof of what I could do. If the man's story was true he and his family would be spared, otherwise they would all be killed right then and there along with me.

The man insisted I could perform miracles and heal anything. The henchman who had me, shot him in the chest. Twice.

At that point I was in shock, I couldn't believe how quickly everything had happened but part of what I do is…I feel the physical pain of others. I learned to block it out a long time ago, but it wasn't every day I was faced with so many deaths and injuries. My 'shields' so to say were pretty damaged at that point and the man's pain instantly registered with me. It snapped me out of my shock enough to understand the situation I was in.

I could either leave the man to die, then his family would be killed, then me. Or…I could heal him, save him and his family and stay alive but captive. I didn't want the deaths of innocents on my hands and the poor man was only trying to protect those he loved. He was desperate and although I hated him, I couldn't let his family die so, after being pushed down to the floor I slid over to him and saved his life. His and his family's.

After that the henchman looked at me differently. They called me a witch and kicked me while I was on the ground. Eventually a kick got me in the head and I passed out."

Mia took a break here. Tony had her left arm in his hands the entire time and although he wasn't hurting her, his grip had become hard and it was making Mia uncomfortable.

He didn't let go of her arm when she tried gently to pull it out of his grasp but he did loosen his grip while she paused in her story. He remained quiet and looked at her and then her arm. It was healing well enough and by the time they got to the house for dinner it would probably be almost completely healed.

Tony's head was reeling and he felt dizzy with the unbelievable story he'd heard so far. He couldn't believe how monstrously she had been treated. He couldn't believe such a horrible thing could even take place but he had seen what she could do and sure enough she was captured by the Ten rings. He couldn't find any holes in the story and he felt his respect for her growing.

She had sacrificed herself to save people she didn't even know. It was admirable and he was in awe of her. He licked his lips and asked a question.

"You don't really 'heal' though, do you? What you did to me, my arm. It wasn't healing; it was a transfer of sorts. You took what was on me and put it on yourself where it seems to be healing at a somewhat accelerated pace. Does it hurt?" He studied her arm, trying to figure out what had happened and what was continuing to happen.

She tried to take her arm back but he wouldn't have it. He held her in place and waited for her answer but was now trying to offer her some comfort by gently running his thumb along the side of her arm where there weren't any scrapes.

Mia felt herself relax at his gesture and eased up a bit. The heat from his strong hands and slightly calloused fingers was soothing to her. "It heals the person on the receiving end and if it doesn't outright kill me I'll heal at an accelerated speed after it's done."

"And what about my other question. Does it hurt? When you transfer the wounds, do you feel what they did?"

Mia felt hot under Tony's intense stare and hesitated to answer. She knew how guilty he felt about the weapons Ten Rings were using and didn't want him to feel more guilt over what she had yet to tell him.

Tony was afraid to know the answer but he needed to know, he wouldn't let it rest until he knew. "Please tell me, I promise I won't hate you, no matter what you tell me. I promise, trust me." He knew it was a cheap shot to throw her words back at her and ask for her trust the way she asked for his but he wasn't going to let it go.

Her voice quiet again she spoke. "Yes. It hurts. I feel every tear, every hurt, and every wound as it's being inflicted on me. "

Tony winced and again rubbed his thumb along her healing arm.

"At first, I couldn't do what they asked. I would black out from the amount of pain or the injuries themselves but then they injected me with something. A stimulant of sorts and I couldn't black out no matter the amount of pain.

Eventually I would refuse to help someone, the pain was just too much and I felt like I was torn to shreds." She shrugged. "I probably was, considering how many injuries I had to work with. First it was just beatings, and then when it wasn't as effective it was torture and eventually rape." Mia couldn't look at Tony anymore. She felt numb while telling him the story but didn't understand why she felt the wetness of tears on her cheeks. She had tried so hard to hold them back. She gave a hollow laugh at her body's betrayal.

Tony's heart felt like it was in a vice hearing what she'd been though and he wanted to hold her so badly it hurt but he controlled the urge and just motioned for her to continue.

"I didn't know how much time had passed, all the pain just kind of blurred together; I learned later that it was about 3 weeks. It was from Yinsen I learned what date it was actually.

Like I said, there weren't any doctors at the compound, only a medic. I don't know exactly when Yinsen got there but one day the pain was just too much and even with the drugs in my system I passed out. I learned later that Raza killed one of the guards for letting me almost die. Apparently beatings, rape and torture were just fine and dandy as long as they didn't kill me.

Anyways, when I came to I was on a cot and Yinsen was tending to me. He didn't have much in the way of supplies and looked scared but he told me that if I died his family would be killed. He insisted I get food, rest and water for the next few days. I had food, water and rest but only for one day since the following day an emergency situation arose and Yinsen was immediately taken away and I was left alone in my cell.

I didn't know what the emergency was but there was a flurry of movement outside the cell. When I realized that no one was going to take me away I tried to close my eyes and rest. I thought about ending my life in there. The rock wall in the cell was sharp and I was certain I could chip a piece away to use as a tool but I didn't want to cause Yinsen any grief. He was a captive, like me and all he'd done was be kind in the short amount of time I'd known him for. So I lay down and rested. It wasn't long before my 'rest' was disturbed. After a short while I felt such pain! It took me a moment to recover but after hearing a man's screams outside my cell I realized it wasn't my pain, it was his.

His cries were loud and tortured. I tried to look outside the cell and just barely, around the corner I could see Yinsen. He seemed to be operating on a man without anesthesia; it was horrifying to listen to that and I tried to cover my ears and hum but it didn't work. After a few moments the man passed out from the pain but his pain continued, I could still feel it."

Mia spared a glance at Tony and guessed, based on his pale complexion he knew exactly whose screams she had heard. She pushed an unopened bottle of water his way.

"Here, has a sip of water, you don't look well. We can continue this another time if it's too much."

Tony shook his head in the negative. He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach but what he found absolutely unbelievable was that she was asking him if he was OK! After everything she'd been through he should be making sure she was OK. How could she still retain such consideration for others? How could she still care?

"No, Mia. Please continue. If you stop now I don't think I can find the strength to ask you to continue."

"OK, but the worst part for you is still to come. You're going to hate me and I know I don't have the right to ask anything of you but please, when you tell me to leave don't look at me with hate. If you can't keep the hate out of your eyes then don't look at me at all. I'll leave and you'll never see me or hear from me again unless you need me."

"Mia, I won't hate you. I hate the monsters that did this to you, to us but I can't hate you, never."

She had her doubts but decided that he was right. It would be best to finish the tale now. Tear the bandage off the wound quickly instead of slowly prolonging the pain.

" OK…..so Yinsen finished working on the man who by now you've guessed was you, and I thought he'd be brought back to me but instead was hauled off elsewhere. After a few moments a guard came and got me. He brought me to the man and told me to make sure he would live.

After being there for three weeks I thought I'd seen the worst of the worst. Children with shrapnel sprinkled into their flesh, limbs blown off by explosives, whip lashings, bullet holes but I was mistaken. What I saw on that table was a man covered in dirt and grime hooked up to various machines, all tubes and wires everywhere. His shirt had been removed and there was a metal device embedded in his chest. The flesh around the circle was jagged, rough, raw and bleeding, the ribs had been cracked open and broken to accommodate the device and there was a battery attached to it. It was a gruesome sight and the pain was intense. I'd never seen anything like that and didn't even know how you'd survived.

I screamed and begged not to do it. I was terrified of what I was seeing and I did everything I could in that moment to either get away or be killed. I saw a man, one who I didn't think was there by choice and I wanted to let him die. I wanted to let you die!"

Mia was sobbing openly now and Tony couldn't find the words he needed in this moment. Was this what Mia was afraid of? Was she afraid he would hate her for wanting to let him die?

"Is that it? Is that why you think I would hate you? Because you didn't want to heal me?"

"No, there's more. You're going to hate me because I did heal you."

Tony was terrified now and couldn't imagine what fixing him must have felt like. He didn't understand what she could say next that would make him hate her.

"You, the man, you were in danger of never waking up or waking up and then falling ill to sever infections or sepsis. A piece of metal was jammed into you and it wasn't natural. If you were going to live you needed help fast. I refused to touch you so the guards….they….they forced me to lay my hands on you.

I was still terrified of what would happen if I healed the man on the table but now I had two people touching me. If someone is touching me while I heal I can use their energy in addition to my own for a boost of sorts. I didn't know that at first since I'd never been exposed to it but one time while in captivity I was forced to try healing two people at the same time. Instead of healing both, I took one's life and it flowed through me, I felt it. It gave me a boost to heal the other person more quickly and with less pain.

Now with two people touching me when all I wanted to do was escape I had a chance and I quickly took it. I killed the two guards instantly, they couldn't even scream. I felt energized but there was a sense of wrongness. Not because I killed but because something inside me just felt wrong, it didn't belong.

My previous injuries were healing rapidly and I left the man on the table to grab a gun and try running but the leader came in. He saw his guards; he saw me, then the still unconscious man. He ran at me so fast I didn't even see him move. He grabbed me, yelled something in Farsi and made it very clear what would happen to me if I didn't heal the man.

Feeling defeated I turned to the man on the table and placed my hands on his chest, on either side of the circle embedded there. I closed my eyes and tried to heal him but everything was all wrong. The circle in his chest didn't belong and there was something in his heart. His ribs couldn't heal properly either, because the circle was in the way. I felt terrible about what the man would suffer and thought it would be best for him if he died but what would happen to Yinsen and his family?

I did something then that I'd never tried before. I abhorred the thought of it but, I closed my eyes and instead of simply healing him I changed his body and the way it worked. I re-wired it to work with the circle in the chest, not to reject it and not to let it get infected. I made his body accept the device in his chest as though it had always been there and always been a part of him.

I can't explain the specifics or how. I don't have the medical knowledge but basically I made your body accept the circle in your chest as a part of it without having to suppress the immune system. Having a foreign object in a body can be done and is done all the time with hip and knee replacements and other surgeries, but when the proper resources aren't used the body can reject the foreign item. I re-wrote that. I changed what your body would and wouldn't accept, I changed the shape of your ribs and I spread the lungs out to accommodate the strange object.

I'd never done anything like it before and it hurt but it was different. I felt detached, like my spirit or something was floating away while my body stayed behind to heal and endure. It was very bizarre and seemed to go on a long time but eventually you were breathing easier and your pulse picked up.

Then I was slammed back into my body and the pain was excruciating in its intensity. It grew to be too much and I blacked out.

I was left alone for a while after that, a few days I think assuming I got some food and water once a day. It was the first time I'd been given more than a piece of dried bread and the longest I'd been left alone since my capture. I was afraid they'd forgotten me, but the daily meals assured me that wasn't the case and after that short break it was back to the usual routine of healing and being brutalized until I was tossed into your cell.

You know the rest, now please release my arm so I can leave. I'm a monster and I'm no better than the Ten Rings."

Mia tried to get up but Tony didn't release her arm like she expected. Instead, he pulled her off balance and towards him. The result was a very shocked and surprised Mia practically sitting in his lap being held tightly.

There were tears in his eyes as he held her for the second time that day but this time it wasn't to just comfort her. He was holding on to her because he felt so much for her that he couldn't find the words to express how he felt.

He'd never done so much hugging in his life but with Mia it felt good. When he held her it was like coming home. He'd never felt it before and realized now that he was missing something in his life he didn't even know he should have. His house, his possessions, they were just things. They didn't hold any significant meaning for him and when he went home at the end of a day it wasn't HOME it was just a house with a bed. But sitting, holding Mia, this felt like HOME.

Mia reveled in the feeling of being held like she was precious. It had been so long since she was able to tolerate a person's touch without flinching or a flashback. Her arm had been released when Tony wrapped both of his around her and she now did the same to him.

No words were needed as they held onto each other like the other person was a life line. All the pent up emotions between them were freed as they embraced and Mia felt lighter than she had in a very long time.

A sniffle from the right side of the office broke the moment and they turned to see Pepper holding a tissue to her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop but the meeting wrapped up about half an hour ago and when I came in you two were caught in the moment and didn't notice me. I was going to leave but the story caught my attention. Tony never talks about any of it and I didn't understand why but after what I heard I get it. "

Pepper walked over to the two who were now standing, trying to compose themselves and first turned to Tony.

"Tony, I'm so sorry I pushed you to talk about your time there. Had I known…."

"Well, now you know. Maybe it's better like this, get it out in the open. Anyways, Mia did the hard work and all the talking. I just sat here and listened." He spoke with a practised ease but was obviously shaken.

Pepper nodded and gave a watery smile before turning to Mia. "I'm so sorry you went through all that and I don't believe anyone would ever hate you for what you've done. You did what you had to do to survive and on top of that you tried your best to help others, even though you were in such a horrible situation. Now, here you are, healthy and trying to live your life.

When I first met you I thought you were insecure and scared of the world but now I see how wrong I was." She gave Mia a brief but firm hug and started for the door. Also, thank you for bringing Tony back home. I hate job hunting."

Mia smiled at the small joke as she and Tony joined Pepper at the door.


	16. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Happy had just pulled up to the house with Yinsen as Tony drove up to the front. The flight bringing Yinsen in had been delayed and Pepper had arranged the food to be delivered at 9 instead of 8 like originally planned.

It all worked out really well since Tony and Mia had also been delayed while waiting for Pepper to finish up the board meeting in Tony's stead.

"Yinsen!" Mia was sporting a huge smile as she walked to greet the older man.

"Mia! It's good to see you doing so well. "Yinsen and Tony shared a look for a quick moment before Yinsen turned to Mia and placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

"It's good to see you too. Are you hungry? Pepper ordered food and should be here soon. "

Yinsen and Mia chatted a bit and introductions were made. Having had the rooms prepared, Tony asked the older man about his family. "Hey, where's your family Yinsen? I've got rooms ready for them. A boy a girl and your wife, right?"

Caught off guard Yinsen looked to Tony quickly and Mia suddenly got quite. The tension was thick when Yinsen replied. "You were most gracious to invite me and my family but they could not come."

There was something off in Yinsen's tone and the mood had completely changed. Tony wanted to inquire further but let the subject drop for the time being. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, we'll talk about it later." Tony and Happy left to park the cars while Pepper walked into the house with a somber Mia and Yinsen in tow. Not being familiar enough with the newest house guest, she didn't ask about his family but she had a terrible feeling that there was more to the man's story.

"Welcome back Miss Potts and Mia. Welcome to you as well Mr. Ho."

Startled out of his reverie, Yinsen looked around for the source of the disembodied voice and when he couldn't find it, turned to the two ladies who were trying to keep the smiles off their faces.

Mia finally spoke up. "That was JARVIS. It's an AI Tony created. I real one! It learns and evolves. It can multi-task and I think it has a sense of humor too. As if the house itself wasn't stunning enough, it has an AI too! Oh, and you should see the rest of the house. It's incredible, like something you see on TV but never quite believe can exist. I just got here yesterday and I'm still not used to how awesome this place is. We're going to have a great time." She put on a big smile hoping to cheer him up, sad that he was alone in this world but determined to be there for him until he could be reunited with his family.

*0*0*0*0*

It was nearing midnight by the time Mia let out a large yawn and declared that she was going to turn in for the night. Rhodey had called and said something had come up so he couldn't make it for dinner so it was rescheduled for the next day.

Pepper and Happy followed shortly after, going to their respective rooms, leaving Tony and Yinsen alone.

Suddenly Tony looked exhausted as he ran his hand over his face. Yinsen noted the other man's appearance but chose not to comment on it.

"I see that Mia is happy. I'm glad she's doing so well considering all that she's been through."

Tony nodded slowly while thinking. "Yeah, she seems alright. We had a big talk just before we got in. She talked about what happened to her back in the cave. The things she did.

Did you know she was there three weeks before you?"

Yinsen shrugged. "I don't know if she was there three weeks before me but she was there for three weeks before we met. It was difficult to track time there but I suspect she was there at least two weeks longer than myself so three weeks is probably a good guess."

"Do you know what they did to her while she was there? Everything?"

Yinsen looked away and out the window that overlooked the ocean. "Unfortunately I do know. I treated her once before she joined us in our cell."

"And do you know why she was really there? That she's a mutant?"

Yinsen looked surprised at Tony's use of the work mutant but nodded his head. "I know of what she can do. One night when we were all in the cave she woke from a nightmare and scratched your face when you tried to wake her. Feeling guilty she had tried to heal you in secret as you slept and I caught her." He looked back to Tony. "I'm not proud of it but at the time I wasn't thinking straight and I accused her of being one of the Ten Rings. I told her she couldn't be trusted if she was keeping secrets and I forced her to tell me of her gift. "

Tony was upset to hear about Yinsen's threat to Mia but let it go. What had taken place in Afghanistan was done and Mia had obviously forgiven Yinsen and that was enough for him. Looking up from his drink he looked at Yinsen again, a serious look on his face.

"So, what's the real reason your family isn't visiting." His eyes went dark and stared at Yinsen, knowing there was something he was missing.

"My family is no longer part of this world. They were killed in front of my eyes along with all the others in my village during the massacre in which I was taken." The words were slow and heavy, conveying to Tony how difficult it was to talk about his family.

Tony's grip on the glass tightened and he refilled their glasses. "But you told me you would see them when you escaped. Why would you say that?!" It took a moment for the cogs in Tony's head to turn and when they stopped, he stared at Yinsen in disbelief. You didn't plan to survive the escape did you? You thought you were going to die and join your family. That's what you meant when you told me they were waiting. Why? Why would you help me if you had nothing to gain?" Angry, Tony gulped the contents of his glass but didn't refill it again. He wanted a clear mind and with the pieces of the puzzle finally coming together he knew it would be too easy to give in to the bottle.

"I helped you because I could tell you were a good man. I hadn't realized it until we spent some time together but you, Tony Stark are a good man. I don't know the full story of why you hide behind the façade of an uncaring playboy but in that cave, in captivity, I could see that you had the potential to do much good. I knew you wanted to get your weapons away from our captors and I wanted to help you do that. Then, when Mia joined us I was encouraged further still." He took a sip of his drink, savoring the flavor.

"I wanted to make them suffer for my family, my neighbors and my friends. I saw you as an end to a means. It isn't something I'm proud of but that was my thinking at the time and certainly that goal has now been achieved." He gave a dry chuckle and finished his own drink, also placing the glass down, not wishing to consume too much.

"Mia was an unexpected surprise in my plan but in the end it was because of her that I survived and lived to see my revenge. She is fiercely stubborn, that is for certain, but I wouldn't do anything to change that." A small smiled had formed on Yinsen's visage and Tony wondered what could cause that during such a conversation. He remained silent and was rewarded when Yinsen continued.

"On our way out I was careless and didn't see a guard coming down a hall. Only seconds after I registered the fact I felt spikes of pain all over my chest. The pain was too strong and I fell back onto a pile of rice bags. I was in shock and missed what happened immediately after I fell, but Mia apparently took a gun from a fallen soldier and shot the guard." He closed his eyes as images flashed before him.

"Mia told me to get up, I had to escape to see my family. I told her then, what had become of my family and that I wished to join them, as I had planned from the start. That was apparently not acceptable to her. She insisted I not leave yet, she said I still had work to do in this life. My pain was too great to move and breathing was difficult, but before I knew what was happening she threw herself on me, shielded me from guards running by, pretending we were dead but all the while I was burning up from the inside out. She was taking on my injuries as she protected us as best she could.

Soon, there was so much blood all over us, the guards who did look our way no doubt thought us dead. Once it was safe to move again I tried to get up but Mia was now bleeding and unconscious. I carried her as she bled with my wounds and prayed she would live and checked her basic vitals best I could while escaping. Her heart stopped just before we made it outside but restarted quickly with few compressions.

I don't know how she endured such pain and exhaustion but I owe my life to her and, although my family will have to wait, I will do what I can to make sure the second chance she gave me is not wasted."

Tony stood from his chair; his mind was still processing what he'd heard from Yinsen and now he knew why the older man was so protective of Mia. He murmured a quiet goodnight to Yinsen and went down to his workshop, more determined than ever to complete his project.

*0*0*0*0*

Mia woke early, just before sunrise the next day feeling light and well rested. A quick look into the hallway outside her room confirmed that everyone was still sleeping.

She loved mornings and was excited to get an early start.

Mia ducked back to her room and quickly changed into her swimwear. It was a cute two piece bikini that she'd never wear in public due to her scars but ever since she'd seen the infinity pool at the house she just had to use it and this was the perfect chance. She didn't want to hide her scars but she wasn't going to show them off either and her suit left little of her covered up. She had a one piece back home too but to be honest she loved her bikini and felt much more comfortable in it since it retained less water when she needed to dry off. She wanted to take a swim and get back to her room to change for the day before anyone noticed.

Grabbing a pair of flip flops and a fluffy towel from the bathroom she wrapped it around herself and padded her way quietly down to the pool. Once there she dropped the flip flops to the ground and put them on her feet and paused to take in the scene.

The sun was just rising in the east and in the distance birds were getting started on their songs. The water in the pool was undisturbed and smooth as glass, it seemed almost wrong that she would soon break the stillness of the water for her swim. There were a few loungers on the deck but she chose to leave her towel on the edge of the pool instead. Her flip flops joined the towel and she sat on the ledge, dangling her legs in the water. She was surprised to find that the water was warm and looked around for a control.

Not finding one she made her way back toward the house where a panel was located on the exterior wall.

"JARVIS are you there?"

"At your service Mia."

"Shhh, keep your voice down, I don't want to disturb anyone. Why's the water in the pool warm? Was someone else going to use it?"

"There are sensors around the perimeter of the pool in various locations. For example, upon leaving the house through the sliding door you crossed the threshold of one such sensor, thereby activating the pool area. The pool deck as well as the water in the pool will warm to a specified temperature and be maintained at that temperature until you leave."

Mia just fell a little more in love with the house. "How does it know when I leave? "

"It doesn't but I do. I can control the area if you would like to change the settings and in case of an emergency I can send for assistance."

"So you play lifeguard? You are just too cool."

"As you say Mia."

After a few simple stretches Mia slid into the warm water and was pleasantly surprised to find it was a saltwater pool. Tony just had the greatest stuff, she could sure get used to the lifestyle.

She swam a few laps until she felt energized and then laid back and floated, watching the sky brighten and the birds and planes as they flew by.

She lost track of time as she floated around and as she floated close to the edge she was about to push off when a shadow fell over her.

Startled she stopped floating and automatically crossed her arms to her chest, almost sinking to the bottom as she quickly treaded to keep afloat.

Looking up she saw a large smirking man she didn't recognize. He was wearing a full suit, shoes and all while staring down at her. She didn't like the way he was looking at her and she quickly made her way to the other side where her towel lay.

She wrapped the towel around herself before even getting all the way out and got the bottom of it heavy with water.

The man continued to stay where he was with the slimy smirk still on his face.

"You know, Tony usually wants his lady friends gone in the morning before he wakes up."

Mia was embarrassed at first but angered quickly at the blatantly offensive comment. "And who are you to tell me what Tony wants? How'd you get in here?"

The man chuckled, obviously enjoying teasing her. "No need to get angry, I'm just a friend of the family and was dropping by to see how Tony was doing since he missed the meeting yesterday. If you hurry you can probably get your clothes on and leave, it's still early but Pepper should be by with your cleaning shortly."

His eyes looked at the scars that were visible on her arms and she held the towel tighter to her body feeling like he was seeing right through it.

"It seems he's developed a thing for damaged ones has he? You must be good if you can still find work with all that scarring. Maybe I'll take a turn sometime once he's done."

Mia's good mood was long gone now and all her doubts and insecurities came back to her in a tidal wave of emotions running hot. The man was by the door and she'd have to go by him to get back in. Frozen in place by his leering gaze she stayed where she was, unable to find her voice. She looked for another path back into the house when Pepper stepped out.

"Mr. Stane, how kind of you to visit." She shook his hand briskly and continued. "Mr. Stark will be down to see you shortly, please make yourself at home."

He turned his attention to Pepper. "Ah, Miss Potts. Getting tired of cleaning up after Tony are we? I noticed one of his encounters made it to the pool this time." He motioned in Mia's direction with his hand where she stood, embarrassed at the whole situation.

Pepper saw the red faced Mia's and noticed the slight trembling under the wet towel. She must have been frightened at seeing a strange man while being so unprepared.

She took a breath and focused on Obi. "Mia is a friend and a guest here; she is welcome to use the pool and any of the other amenities. She is not now, nor will she ever be one of Tony's 'encounters'. If you would please follow me Mr. Stane, I'll show you to the living room." Pepper's warm demeanor had been replaced by one which she normally had reserved for 'taking out the trash'.

Mr. Stane chuckled again and looked once more to Mia before turning to Pepper. "It's alright Miss. Potts, I know the way, and I'll let myself in." With that he disappeared into the house, leaving Mia with Pepper.

"Mia, are you OK? He didn't say or do anything did he?" Pepper placed her hands on Mia's shoulders but the other woman flinched at the contact and Pepper released her hold quickly with a sad look in her eyes.

Mia shook herself out of her trance and shook her head. "No, I'm fine; I was just surprised is all. He was kind of an ass but I'll live. I'm going to head in and clean up, OK?" Her words were meant to be reassuring but Pepper heard the quiver in the hushed tone that had been used.

*0*0*0*0*

Inside the house Tony was lounging on a couch wearing jeans and a T-Shirt, obviously having no intention of going to the office. "Obi, you're walking a fine line. You can talk to me about Stark Industries all you want but when it comes to my personal life you have no say in what I do!"

"Calm down Tony, I'm merely stating that it's good to see you playing the field again, Stark Industries needs its leader back but I'm concerned about the fact that you're letting a stranger run around your house freely." Obi was holding his hands behind his back and pacing while he spoke to Tony like a father lecturing a son.

The talk between the two men became tenser as the minutes passed and as Tony's anger was beginning to come fully to the surface Obi looked at his wrist and announced he had to leave for an important meeting.

Still seething Tony was glad to see the larger man leave. After some brief words with Pepper regarding his schedule for the day he set off to find Mia and Yinsen. It was finally time to show them what he'd been working on.

*0*0*0*0

Yinsen had been easy to find. The man was sitting in the kitchen finishing up his breakfast.

"Good morning Yinsen, did you sleep well?" Tony nabbed a piece of fruit from a platter on the table and popped it into his mouth.

"Yes, I slept well very well, thank you." Yinsen was polite but Tony recognized the deep circles under the man's eyes and recognized that he hadn't slept any better than Tony had since his return to freedom.

Choosing not to comment about Yinsen's white lie he continued on. "Great, I hope you don't have anything planned for today, I want to show you and Mia my latest project."

*0*0*0*0

In her room Mia sat on her bed still wrapped in the half wet towel. She'd come up to clean up and get dressed for the day but she was still shaken from her encounter with Mr. Stane as Pepper had called him.

She hadn't planned on encountering anyone that morning until after she was done in the pool and she especially hadn't been prepared for the leering look of a total stranger who not only leered at her but insulted her integrity as well.

The more the dwelled on the encounter the more she had trouble deciding if she was frightened or angered. She stood up in a smooth motion and threw off her towel aggressively into the hamper with a yelp of annoyance. She was angry she decided and she'd be dammed if she let that disgusting man take any more of the lovely day from her. The pool had been great and she'd use it again but next time would ask JARVIS to warn her when someone approached so she wouldn't be unprepared.

Whoever that man was, she decided he wasn't worth her time as she walked into her private bathroom and started the shower.


	17. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

An hour later the trio was in the basement workshop. Yinsen and Mia were looking around in awe while trying not to trip over a piece of machinery or breaking any of the delicate looking parts on the tables. Both jumped slightly when Tony loudly started talking about a dummy.

"Dumi, I told you to get this place cleaned up. Since when does a carburetor belong on the floor beside the mini fridge? Do you want me to donate you to a high school robotics club? Go get your hat and try to clean some of this up."

Mia and Yinsen stared as a mechanical arm behaved like a scolded puppy and placed a dunce cap on its 'head'.

Mia was first to speak up. "Tony, what is that?" She pointed to where Dumi was circling around a pile of parts on a table.

"That's Dumi. He was a project of mine when I was at MIT. I've tweaked his programing since the first version but he's still a dummy."

Mia pouted as she watched Dumi run circles around the workshop. She was always such a sucker for dogs and she couldn't help but compare Dumi to one in that moment.

"Awwww….poor thing! It's been stuck with only you for company all this time, it's no wonder that it can't function. I'll bet you Dumi can do lots of things, you just need to ask nicely….and not be you." She snorted at the end of her joke and whistled Dumi over like a dog.

Tony was stunned into silence while Mia stroked Dumi's 'neck' and Yinsen chuckled at the scene.

With Dumi now properly picking pieces off the floor Mia turned and gave Tony a satisfied smirk. Playing the part Tony acted the clown and pretended to be hurt.

After showing Mia the server rack that hosted Dumi's programming and granting her full access to it he directed them over to the holo table in the middle of the room.

"This is why I really brought you two here." With a flourish he hit a couple of buttons on the smart glass pane nearby and the lights dimmed while the holo image of the Iron Man mark 2 prototype came up in full glory.

Now it was Yinsen and Mia who were staring with their jaws on the floor but this time in earnest. Yinsen was first to find his voice while Mia walked a circle around the image.

"Is this what I think it is?" Tony manipulated the controls and various blue prints were pulled up on the table and the image of the mark 2 suit zoomed in and out on the various parts of the armor.

"If you think it's another suit of armor made to kick terrorist ass they yes, it's exactly what you think." He crossed his arms over his chest proudly as Yinsen and Mia continued to look at the design specs.

After a couple of moments he hit a button and the floor opened up to reveal a rising platform. The sound of moving machine parts broke up the silence that had built up. Everyone looked at the platform as it rose. It contained a rack of sorts which had a spider web of cables hung up on it. The web was connected to a pair of heavy looking boots and a pair of gloves and gauntlets.

Yinsen looked excited at the prospect of building another suit, especially if it was to be used for tracking down more terror groups but Mia was a bit more hesitant about the project. "Tony, why are you doing this? Wasn't escaping enough? How can you put yourself back into their hands?" Mia's voice trembled as she asked about Tony's reasons for creating the suit. She had wanted to put everything behind her and move on but it seemed Tony had other plans.

"Mia, it was my weapons the Ten Rings used. My weapons that nearly got us killed. I can't rest until all those weapons are out of their hands. I have to know how they got them. I can't put this behind me and I think both you and Yinsen know that we can't rest until all this is resolved." Tony was getting worked up thinking about the mess his weapons had created and was pacing while he spoke.

"Tony, there are audits, lawyers, police investigations and other methods of finding the answers. Do you really think that you can go around and fix this all by yourself? You can't shoulder all the blame here Tony, you didn't sell the weapons under the table. Follow the legal methods and find your answers, then count on the law to take care of the rest."

Tony was ready to counter when Yinsen spoke up. "Mia, although I wouldn't personally choose this path, I believe it is the only way to end things. Also, Tony wouldn't be doing this alone, he'd have us watching his back, I think that's why he's brought us here, he wants our support."

Mia hugged herself and looked down as she thought over Yinsen's words. Tony's idea of becoming a vigilante of sorts was beyond ridiculous to her but she was touched that he'd shared his ideas with her and Yinsen. Deep down, as much as she wanted to believe the law could take care of this problem she knew it wasn't true. All over the world company execs were sitting around and enjoying their money, not caring about who was hurt and stepped on in the process but here, but in front of her now stood one of the world's richest and smartest men willing to actually do something about it. He wasn't looking for an easy pay day, he wanted to make sure his weapons, his company's goods weren't falling into the wrong hands. Was that wrong?

Steeling herself and looking up at the two men in the room with her she lowered her arms from around herself and spoke up. "Okay, if you'll have me, I'll help you with this project but don't you dare get yourself killed or re-captured Tony. If you care at all about anyone else besides yourself you'll at least try not to die and make us regret our decision to support you. If you die, you're dead and that's it, but everyone you leave behind will have to deal with it and if you care about any of us, me, Yinsen, Pepper, Happy or Rhodey please don't make us go through that. Promise me you'll be careful and I'm on board with this crazy idea of yours."

Mia's somber words took the air out of the sails as each man thought about where the plan would go. The three stood in a circle around the suit until Tony spoke up. "Mia, I'm touched by your words. I never knew you cared so much but don't worry about my dying. I'm too good looking, smart and rich to go anywhere for a long time." The words were said in a joking manner but the meaning behind them was clear, he would do his best to take responsibility for his actions and inactions. He wouldn't do anything stupid and he wanted her on the team.

Mia looked the man in the eyes for a moment before nodding slightly. "Alright, I'm glad that's cleared up, now why don't you show us what you've got so far."

A few hours later Pepper came down to the workshop to hear the music blasting while Tony and Yinsen were soldering….something on one surface and Mia worked on a pane of smart glass at another table. It was still early for dinner and they were all so focused they didn't even notice her in spite of the clicking of her heels on the hard floor. She went over to the kitchenette and made sure drinks and snacks were stocked and left the three to keep working.

It was around eight that Mia looked up from the script she'd been looking at and noticed the ache in her shoulders. She moved her neck experimentally and realized it too was stiff. Looking beside her she noticed she'd had about five drinks over the last few hours. She didn't remember fetching the drinks, where'd they come from?

Just as she'd finished her thought Dumi came by and placed a new drink on the space beside the screen. Mia looked up surprised and thanked Dumi while petting his 'neck'. He made a low mechanical sound that sounded like purring.

Now that she wasn't focused on the script she realized she needed to use the facilities and was really hungry. She looked up and saw that Yinsen was helping himself to some snacks from the kitchenette but Tony was still hard at work assembling what looked like a shoulder piece.

Looking around Mia could see that Yinsen and Tony had actually managed to finish two full arm and shoulder pieces and were getting ready to work on the chest plate. As she walked up to Tony her stomach growled loudly just as the music was changing tracks. She blushed in embarrassment but Tony looked up, his concentration broken by his concern for Mia.

"I think it's time for dinner."

The next few weeks continued much in the same manner. When the trio weren't eating they were in the workshop soldering, assembling, testing and programming the mark 2. Pepper made sure they were fed but otherwise left them alone.

Finally after countless hours of work the mark 2 was complete. The suit looked menacing hanging on the rack as the trio admired the result of their combined efforts.

"Alright guys, this is it. Testing phase, let's get going." Tony clapped in hands and rubbed them in anticipation. He walked up to the suit and disassembled it into its various components. The pieces were just as heavy as they looked and he grunted with the effort of maneuvering the pieces into place so that he could get them on.

"Tony, we just finished it and it's late. Don't you think we need some rest before we start testing?" Mia gave a yawn while Yinsen also nodded in agreement.

"No way, look at it! It's our baby, it's done. How can you just go to sleep without knowing if it works?" He'd already picked up the body suit he'd need to wear under the armor and was making his way to the restroom area.

Knowing they weren't going to win the argument Yinsen and Mia got the monitoring systems booted and made sure the suit was ready to be worn.

Tony came out a moment later, clad in the bodysuit looking confident and excited until Mia burst out in a fit of laughter. A moment later Yinsen joined her in a more subdued manner.

"Hey, what's with the laughing? Did Dumi spike your drinks? I knew it wasn't a good idea to put him in charge of snacks and drinks." He stood there in the skin tight suit reminiscent of spandex and looked confused.

After a moment Yinsen asked Tony to take a look in the mirror and Tony understood the joke. Yeah…he looked like a complete tool wearing the sensor suit but if he wanted to get the most out of the armor and was going to avoid chafing and blisters the suit was currently the only option.

Once everyone had collected themselves they resumed the task of getting Tony 'armored up'.

First he walked up to the boots and placed his feet in. He winced slightly at the coolness of the boots as the cold of the metal alloy penetrated through the sensor suit. Once the boots sensed the slight current that was flowing from the arc reactor in his chest into the sensor suit they activated just enough for him to take a couple step forward where Jarvis had his new 'appendages' set up and ready to assist with the rest of the process.

Piece by piece, from the legs up the suit was assembled onto him and bolted into place. It felt a bit claustrophobic and for a second he wondered about how he was going to get out but once everything was on and he put on the mask the worries were replaced with excitement and anticipation as the HUD flared to life and Jarvis began uploading to the suit.

Mia stood by monitoring the suit's status on her screens while Yinsen stood on another set of panels beside her monitoring Tony's vitals.

"Tony, I'm seeing a worrying rise in your vitals, you must remain calm while in the suit." Tony didn't hear Yinsen's advice since he was too busy looking around through the HUD and testing the recognition software.

Realizing that Tony hadn't heard him, Yinsen stepped away from his consoles and placed himself in front of the armor clad man. "Tony Stark, do not ignore me when I talk to you. We all agreed that we were a team and we would work on this together. I am responsible for your physical well being while you are donning the suit and when I give you instructions you need to listen. Do you hear me?"

Startled by the sudden appearance of Yinsen, Tony took an involuntary step back, surprised at how absorbed he had become in the HUD. He used the suit's internal communications system to relay his apologies to the speakers located by Mia's screens. Satisfied Yinsen returned to his screens to continue monitoring Tony's vitals.

Mia picked up a headset on the table and spoke up, her voiced was transmitted into his helmet. "Tony, you OK in there?"

"I'm good, let's start testing the control surfaces."

"OK, here we go." Mia punched in a couple of commands and the various pieces on the suit started to open and close, swivel and swing.

These were the pieces that would help Tony maintain his balance in flight. Designing these pieces had been one of the obstacles they'd faced when designing the suit since there were many of them all around the suit and they only made limited contact with the main body. They had to come up with a way for these pieces to stay on without being knocked out by the strong g-forces they would be up against while the suit was in flight.

Once the flight pieces were tested, the gauntlets opened and closed where the weapons would be stored and all the other moving parts which controlled mobility and flexibility were tested.

It was incredible for Yinsen and Mia to watch and they were grinning ear to ear when nothing fell off or got stuck.

"All good here Tony, the suit is functioning within our set parameters and Jarvis is now fully uploaded. How's it feel in there? Yinsen says your heart rate is still elevated, is the reactor OK?"

"It feels good in here, nothing pinching or rubbing yet. A little cold, I think we should consider environmental controls for Mark 3."

"Tony, we haven't even tested Mark 2 and you're already making plans for Mark 3? Let's take this one step at a time. Why don't you try taking a couple of steps forward, backward, left and right? If it still fits OK we'll work on getting you out of there and have Jarvis run some diagnostics overnight."

"Uh…how about no? Let's just get all the testing done now, I'm ready for a live flight now.

Mia and Yinsen looked at each other, not surprised with Tony's thinking pattern. Shrugging their shoulders they both consented to the idea of a full test. After all, the first suit was created in a cave with far more limitations. They knew how stubborn and convincing Tony was and this suit was better built. It would be easier just to let him have his way.

"Very well Tony, Mia and I will support you from here." Yinsen was speaking into the mike on his own headset.

"Sir, there are still terabytes of calculations needed before an actual flight is…."

"JARVIS, sometimes you gotta run before you can walk." Mia and Yinsen were punching away at their screens getting all the systems prepped. "Mia, Yinsen ready?"

"Ready" they replied.

"OK, 3, 2, 1."

Unsteadily Tony rose a few feet off the ground. Yinsen noted some strain to the leg muscles as they struggled to remain straight and made notes for improvements.

Without further delay Tony maneuvered the suit out of the basement workshop and into the cool night air.

"Woooooooohhhhhh yeeeeeaaaaaah!" Tony's excitement was palatable through the speakers. His heart rate and breathing patterns were going crazy but it was understandable with what he was currently doing. After a moment he managed to calm down.

"Handles like a dream. Let's see what this thing can do." He started a rapid ascent towards the stratosphere.

"Tony, what are you doing? Take it slow we don't know what the limitations of the suit are yet!" Mia's eyes were wide as she watched the numbers climb on her screen.

"How can we test the limits if we don't push them? C'mon, I promised not to die now let me have some fun." He continued to soar 50,000 ft, 60,000 ft.

"Tony, something's wrong you need to get back. Tony, come in, Tony!" She checked the channels to make sure they were open.

"Yinsen, why isn't he responding, is he OK?"

"His vitals are elevated but unchanged, perhaps a glitch with the communications systems?" He frowned as he spoke, noting something on the screen but Mia was too busy trying to re-establish communications to notice.

"JARVIS, what's happing out there?"

"I believe he is trying to fly beyond the current record of 85,000 ft. but I detected a buildup of frost on the exterior of the suit 67 seconds ago before we lost communications."

It felt like their hearts stopped beating when they heard JARVIS' report. Neither of the two moved while they stood in shock at the news. Just then there was a terrible crashing sound upstairs and they were reminded briefly of the cave in Afghanistan blowing up. Before either of them could move there was a second crash and Tony, still wearing the suit fell through the ceiling and into the workshop, smashing his Alfa Romeo as he landed on it.

Dumi on standby made a beeline for his fallen master and doused him with an extinguisher.

"Ugh…Pepper's going to kill me." He leaning his head back, taking a moment to rest before having to deal with Mia and Yinsen who were frantically calling his name.

The next day found the three of them in the workshop again. The Mark 2 was in a case off to the side, repairs were needed after the stint Tony had pulled the previous day. The armor had also been difficult to remove and a few of the panels had been damaged in the process.

"Alright guys, yesterday went pretty well right? Mark 2 was incredible but I'm ready to get started on Mark 3, what do you think?"

His two companions shook their heads not at all surprised with the eccentric billionaire's idea.

"It's going to suck having to build everything up again but I think we have plenty of data to work with and lots of improvements to make. As much as I don't want to, I think it would be easier to get a new suit going than trying to improve the current one." Mia sat down heavily in a chair and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Although I don't know much about building the suit from scratch I agree that there is definitely room for improvement. If you two think it best to start the Mark 3, then I am in agreement and will do what I can to help." Yinsen looked eagerly and Tony and Mia as he spoke.

Tony sprang into action at the older man's words and started things going. "Alright, I've got all the CAD data up on screen here. I want more stability on the legs and environmental controls for the suit. It was damn cold in there. I've got a lot of other ideas but I'd like to know what you two thought first."

Mia took a sip of some tea Yinsen had made and skimmed her list of ideas for improvement. "I agree with the environmental systems, my screens showed the temperatures dipped down below zero Fahrenheit above 60,000 ft up. Not only would this be uncomfortable for you but the contraction and expansion of the metals would cause unnecessary strain to the suit's structure and controls. We should figure out how to heat and cool the suit both inside and out. It should also help with the icing issue you experienced. I've got some notes here about nano freezing and heating technology. If we manage to get our hands on the micro cartridges we can incorporate them into the suit. The problem with that is refilling the cartridges when they run out. If you don't like that idea, we can probably incorporate some sort of system right into your sensor suit but it would draw more power from the arc reactor."

Yinsen looked over at Mia when she suggested drawing more power from the arc reactor. "I don't think it would be a good idea to increase the strain on the reactor. Although the draw of power by the suit is not large I did notice some odd readings while you were flying." He took a sip of tea before continuing.

"As we all know, the core of the arc reactor is made of palladium which is highly radioactive. It is not a material widely available to the public and it must be handled with extreme caution." Seeing the looks of 'so what?' on his companion's faces he got to the point. "Tony, a material which is handled with great care and kept away from direct human contact is sitting in a chamber of the arc reactor right in your chest. The effects of the palladium on the body are minimized greatly by the fact that the core is barely active but when you used the suit the extra output of power caused the Palladium to leech into your blood. I noticed your chlorophyll bottles in the fridge and am assuming you are already aware of the fact but I want to remind you again of the dangers when you draw power from the reactor."

Mia looked at Tony in shock which quickly turned to anger as it became obvious he was well aware of the consequences of having the palladium in his body. She was white as a sheet but quickly flushed red with rage as her anger mounted. She stood quickly and her chair rolled back hitting the desk behind it hard causing both men to flinch at the sudden sound. "I….I…you….." Being unable to express herself verbally without saying something she might later regret Mia stormed out of the workshop nearly running Pepper over while she came down to check on the trio.

The two men looked at each other and then at the doorway where Pepper stood. "What happened to Mia? She nearly ran me over on her way upstairs and didn't even notice." She set down a boxed item on the surface closest to her as she spoke.


	18. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Tony sighed and ran his hand over his face as he assured Pepper everything was fine and that he'd see her tomorrow. She was leaving early for a date with Happy.

Yinsen had moved over to the television and was flipping through the channels as one announcement caught Tony's attention.

"Yinsen, what was that?" Tony walked over and grabbed the remote without asking and flipped back to the previous channel which was talking about the annual Stark fundraising benefit.

"JARVIS, was I invited to the annual Stark benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund? It's my charity, why didn't Pepper tell me about it?"

Yinsen watched Tony as he talked to JARVIS while staring at the TV and fiddling with the dented MRK 2 mask.

""I have no record of an Invitation sir."

The television host was talking about how Tony was supposedly bedridden as he had been for weeks since his rescue due to PTSD and how no one expected him to show up. Tony tossed the remote back to Yinsen and got ready to leave the workshop, a look of mischief on his face as he made some final touches to the next version of the Ironman suit.

"Yinsen, how about we go crash a party, you me and Mia."

"No thank you Tony. We've worked hard and I'd like to rest. Also, a benefit gala is hardly my idea of a good time, and as you said when you invited me here to your home, I am here to relax. Perhaps Mia will be more accommodating if you apologize to her. She would also, no doubt look better by your side than an old man such as myself."

After a quick nod at the other man Tony strode up the stairs to find Mia while calling back to Yinsen. "Don't wait up."

After checking her room and finding it empty Tony used JARVIS to track Mia down and found her in the small gym, working the speed bag. He was impressed with her speed and told her as much when he interrupted her.

"A compliment isn't going to get you very far right now Tony. Not when you're killing yourself every time you put on the suit and you didn't even have the decency to tell me." She picked up the gloves by the punching bag and started up some warm up punches while darting around on her feet.

"I'm not dying any more than you or Yinsen right now. I keep an eye on my blood toxicity levels and the chlorophyll is keeping all the levels within acceptable range. I told you I wouldn't do anything stupid and if things get out of hand I'll make sure to say something. I made you a promise and I'll keep my word. Like I gave my word to rid terrorists of my weapons and the suit is the only way I know how." The last part was stated quietly and Mia turned around to look at Tony.

"Look, I know you said you want the weapons back but I don't want you to kill yourself to achieve your goal. It's not fair."

"Well, like I said, I'm OK for now and the sooner I get my weapons back the sooner I'll stop using the suit. Do you forgive me?" He grabbed her hand from behind as it was about the hit the bag and turned her to face him.

"Fine, yes. I forgive you. How can I not? But once your weapons are out of terrorist hands, this is over; Right?" Mia looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to stop taking the path he was on.

"Right, whatever you say." Tony spoke quickly and without thought, Mia suspected he wasn't being honest but accepted the answer at face value for the time being.

She pulled her hand away and landed an impressive spin kick to the bag to finish off. "Good."

Tony gulped, impressed at Mia's show of strength.

"So…now that we've talked and you've forgiven me, how about we go out and celebrate?" Tony had backed away towards the doorway as he watched Mia unwrap her hands.

"Celebrate? You just want to party, but sure, I could go out. Should I tell Yinsen or have you already done that?"

"Well, I did ask Yinsen to come out but he wasn't interested. The annual Stark benefit for Families of Firefighters is tonight and I should probably go since it's my company. What do you say?"

"It sounds pretentious and high profile and if it's just you and me, won't it look like I'm your date? I don't want to be labeled as Tony Starks arm candy for the night." The two were heading up to the bedrooms while they talked.

"It is pretentious, boring too but I need to go and don't worry, the focus will be on me. I always go to these things with a woman on my arm, the paparazzi won't think twice about anyone I bring with me. "

They'd reached Mia's room and she was about to go in. "Fine. I'll go, when should I be ready for?"

"Well, the gala started about an hour ago…" Tony trailed off while shrugging his shoulders and Mia closed the bedroom door in his face with a huff. "So I'll see you downstairs in a half hour!" Tony shouted through the closed door half an inch from the tip of his nose.

Forty five minutes later Mia was cleaned up and ready to go. She'd packed a couple of dresses in case of such an event and she was glad for it since they were great dresses which had been altered to cover almost everything from the neck down to hide her scars. In places with low cuts a special sheer material had been sewn in that would still show her skin but reflect the light in a way that would hide the scars underneath. Her shoes had also been custom made to accommodate the damage that had been done to them during her captivity.

She'd been in such a hurry to get ready that she hadn't thought anything about what she was wearing but when she showed up wrapped in a long jacket Tony had asked what color her dress was and had surprised her by wearing a complimenting bow tie.

They made it to the gala in record time according to Tony who seemed to have broken every speed law along the way and the two of them were just getting out of the car. Tony went first and Mia followed him while leaving her jacket behind.

Unprepared for the number of camera flashes, Mia stumbled briefly after seeing spots and a kind valet helped her regain her composure. She was about to thank him when Tony showed up and gave him a few bills and his car keys. "Thanks, I've got it from here." Tony slipped his arm around her waist and casually guided her into the building ahead, completely unfazed by the media circus snapping rude comments to various women who approached him regarding past encounters.

Halfway up the shallow steps Tony spotted Obadiah and interrupted his interview with the press. "What's the world coming to when a guy's got to crash his own party?" Obadiah stepped up to Tony and after giving Mia a leering stare he pushed her away and posed with Tony for the press. While whispering in Tony's ear. "Smile for the cameras, it will do wonders for the Stark share prices."

Tony whispered back while smiling, "Obi, you wouldn't happen to know about Stark Industries selling under the table to terror groups would you?"

"What I do and don't know is none of your concern Tony, why don't you just go inside and have yourself a good time." Before Tony could retort, Obadiah pulled away and started speaking with a reporter.

Tony turned around and suddenly found himself very much alone on the carpet leading into the building where the benefit was being hosted. Not thinking much about it at the time, Tony turned about and headed to the building certain that Mia had gone in ahead of him since he didn't see her nearby.

The ceiling was covered with sparkling chandeliers which were shooting lights all around the large ballroom with guests dancing in the middle and a buffet table to the side. Wait staff were walking around with trays of appetizers and a stage had been set up on the far end of the room.

Walking in like he owned the place, Tony walked up to the bar and ordered a scotch. As he waited for the drink a man introduced himself as Agent Coulsen of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. Pepper had mentioned something about a debrief but Tony didn't care much for the law and dismissively nodded to the agent as he spied a tall and leggy red head in a light blue dress who was dancing with a large man he was more than happy to replace. Upon approaching her and the large man Tony was surprised to see Pepper and Happy. Shocked that he'd thought of his PA in such a manner he complimented her dress.

"Thank you Mr. Stark, it was your birthday gift to me."

"I have good taste." Tony said after taking one last look at the dress.

Looking around Pepper and Happy inquired about why Tony had shown up alone.

"I'm not alone, I brought a date. Before you ask, no I didn't bring some flashy model or actress. I'm here with Mia, we got separated about half way inside. Figured I'd find her easy enough and I ran into you guys. By the way, did you forget to book this event into my schedule? I didn't see any entries about it and JARVIS confirmed I didn't have anything booked for this evening." At Pepper's flustered look Tony waved her off with a smirk. "Just kidding, I hate these things, I just had some business to take care of but I'd like to leave now once I find my date. She's proving difficult to locate." Tony spun around trying to find a woman in a royal blue dress but all the ones he saw didn't match Mia's physique. Happy and Pepper offered to help Tony look when Obadiah walked up to the trio.

"Gentleman, and lady, it seems you're looking for something, perhaps I can offer some assistance." He had a smug look on his face and after their brief chat outside Tony wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face with his fist.

Pepper, unaware of what had transpired between the business partners spoke up before Tony could and mentioned they were looking for Mia.

Seeming uninterested Obadiah spoke up with a dark look in his eyes. "Ah, is that her name? Although I saw her arrive with Tony I believe she was in the company of a foreign dignitary. I saw the two of them leaving together just before I caught up to you three. They seemed quite close as she draped herself all over him." He kept his eyes on Tony for his reaction and smirked at the other man's obvious distress. So the girl was more than just an escort. He would file this information away for a later time.

Tony walked away at a fast pace with Pepper and Happy following him after hurriedly pardoning herself. "Tony, Tony! Slow down, where are you going?"

"I need to find Mia!" He didn't slow down and was heading to the valet station outside.

"Tony, stop! I know where she might be." Pepper almost hit him when he suddenly stopped and spun around to face her and was inches apart from her face.

"There's a hotel around the corner that's housing a majority of the out of town guests. If they left together they might be there, I'll call ahead and see if the front desk saw anyone matching Mia's description. What was she wearing?" At Tony's blank look Pepper rolled her eyes and did her best to give Mia's description over the phone with limited information while the trio practically ran to the hotel.

*0*0*0*

The hotel manager met them at the front doors as if he'd been waiting. Pepper greeted him and the manager confirmed he'd seen Mia after looking at a photo of her on Pepper's phone provided by JARVIS but he wouldn't tell them where she was to protect the privacy of the dignitary.

By now Tony wasn't thinking straight and rushed the manager, holding him by the lapels and threatening him and the hotel. The poor man didn't stand a chance against the onslaught and reluctantly lead them to the 23rd floor where the dignitary was staying.

*knock, knock* "Mr. Joffre, I apologize for the intrusion, this is the hotel manager and I'd like to have a word with you. Please answer the door. "After there was no immediate response he turned to the anxious trio and was surprised to see Tony hold a device up to the electric lock leading to the suite and accessing it as if he had a key card.

"Now wait one moment sir, you can't just barge into someone's private suite…." His words were interrupted by a loud thump and a string of curse words from a man who seemed to be yelling at someone threateningly. Blanching he stepped aside and let Tony pass him, followed by Happy and Pepper.

Tony followed the cursing to the heavy doors leading to the master bedroom which was locked. With a not so Happy Hogan's help he was able to shoulder the door open and the two men barreled their way in with Pepper and the manager behind them.

The first thing Tony noticed was Mia, face up on the bed with her hands tied behind her. The dress she wore was torn on top along with half her bra exposing her. The bottom had been pushed up almost to her waist. The dignitary who looked to be a young man in his thirties was standing a few feet away holding a bloody nose which looked crooked and most likely was broken.

"Who the hell are you people? You can't just come in here!" Blood that had dripped onto his lips from his nose sprayed into the air as he demanded answers from the group in the doorway who were all showing varying degrees of shock and anger.

Tony went into a rage and stepped forward to beat the tar out of the man but before he could Happy had tackled him to the floor and socked him in the eye.

The momentary surprise snapped Tony out of his rage and he strode hurriedly to the bed where Mia was laying while Pepper tried to stop Happy from beating the dignitary any further and the hotel manager called security and instructed them to call the police on their way up to the suite.

Tony pulled down the skirt of the dress before placing himself beside her and was relieved to see she was still wearing her panties. At least the scumbag hadn't gotten very far, obviously in part to Mia fighting him off as best she could while restrained.

"Mia, are you alright?" Tony looked her over roughly and draped his jacket over her but became more worried when she didn't respond to him and continued to lie on the bed staring up at the ceiling. Upon closer inspection he noticed her breathing seemed labored and her eyes were also glassy.

Having stopped Happy from harming the dignitary any further Pepper came over to Tony wondering why Mia was still on the bed. "Tony, I think she's been drugged. I've seen people like this when I was in college at dorm parties. We should get her to a doctor."

Tony looked scared at Pepper's announcement that Mia had been drugged but Pepper placed a hand on his shoulder and helped calm him down. She spoke with him slowly and patiently but she was shaking inside, scared and shocked at the situation. "Tony, why don't you help me turn her to her left side so we can free her hands."

Shaking himself out of his stupor Tony took back control of the situation, giving Pepper a grateful look. He grabbed the scissors being held out by a security officer who had finally arrived and cut away the too tight zip ties that had bitten into Mia's wrists and caused bleeding in places. Her hands were dark due to loss of proper circulation and her arms and shoulders would no doubt be sore for a while due to the position she'd been in.

He propped Mia up against his chest and rubbed her wrists and hands until the color returned.

"That bitch broke my nose! How dare you treat me like a criminal, do you know who I am? I'll have all your heads for this!" The dignitary was being hauled away, cursing up a storm all the way.

Still not responsive, Mia groaned from her position against Tony and slumped almost off the bed had she not been caught. "Mia, Mia! Can you hear me? It's Tony. I've got you." He jostled her slightly but Mia only groaned again and before things got messy, Pepper held a waste bin under Mia's head as she emptied the contents of her stomach.

She gave Tony a sheepish look and he was grateful she was there and that at least one of them knew what to expect.

"The hotel called an ambulance; it should be here any moment. You can ride with her and Happy and I will take care of your car." Tony nodded curtly but Mia started to protest weakly beneath Tony's arm. "No…hospal…hospt..hosp…No." She was having trouble speaking and focusing her eyes but her request was clear. "Dun wanna be lone 'gain. " Her words were slurred but Tony felt guilty when he recalled how he left her behind at the army base in Afghanistan.

Pepper glanced at Mia but spoke to Tony over the prone woman's head. "I'll contact her family, let them know what's happened and arrange to fly them over. I'll meet you at the hospital."

Mia was trying to pull away from Tony but wasn't having any luck in her current state. Still immensely drowsy and vulnerable her next words nearly stopped Tony's heart.

"No fam-ly. Jus t me now, just me...get left behind 'gain…hospital…" She trailed off and Tony repositioned her so he could look at her face. "Mia, Mia! Look at me, Pepper's going to call your family, they'll make sure you aren't alone alright?" Mia wouldn't meet his gaze and averted her eyes while tears fell silently down her face and she kept saying no to the hospital. Tony knew this wasn't the time to be questioning Mia about what she'd said but the guilt he was feeling for leaving her back in Afghanistan and earlier at the gala made him follow her wishes as he turned to Pepper.

"Pepper, we're not using the ambulance. I'll take her home and Yinsen can help her. He has a medical bag and I've got a great first aid setup in my workshop. The man managed to take care of worse with much less than what I've got back at the house." He was already picking Mia up bridal style after placing his jacket over her like a blanket to cover her up. He hadn't realized how much smaller than him she was until she was almost completely swallowed up by the jacket.

Pepper made some calls on her phone while following Tony down to the lobby. A security detail met the trio at the bottom of the elevators and steered them out of the hotel through the kitchen to avoid the media circus that had developed outside. Tony Stark leaving his own gala early and unannounced after showing up just as unexpectedly earlier, no doubt the reporters who noticed the not so subtle exit had followed them.

Happy was waiting in a black car when they exited the hotel. Pepper motioned for Tony to get in with Mia and they were off while Pepper stayed behind for damage control.

*0*0*0*0*

In the car Happy kept silent but kept sneaking glances at his boss with the rear view mirror. Pepper had told him Tony cared for Mia but this was his first time seeing his boss of many years so focused on a person instead of some crazy project or idea.

*0*0*0*0*

"Yinsen! Yinsen!" Tony barged into the house and yelled for the other man loudly as he carried Mia down to his workshop where he had a small med chair set up for when he needed to work on his arc reactor.

Tony lay Mia down quickly but as gently as he could manage. Yinsen came over with his medical bag and asked what happened.

"Obi happened. That bastard! I can't believe he would do this to me, to Mia, to anyone." Tony was frustrated, angry and feeling betrayed, his emotions were getting the best of him as he started pacing back and forth.

Yinsen checked Mia's vitals and confirmed that she seemed to be drugged but other than some superficial wounds there was nothing wrong as she already seemed to be recovering on her own.

An hour later Mia was tucked into her bed and Tony hunkered down in a chair nearby, insisting on staying with her until she came out of her drugged state.

Throughout the night, Pepper, Happy and Yinsen all took turns checking up on Mia and Tony. Apparently someone had even contacted Rhodey because he dropped by at some point staring at his friend in astonishment.

Tony couldn't sit around helpless but his worry for Mia wouldn't let him leave either. He was angry. No, angry didn't begin to cover how he felt. He finally couldn't stand it any longer and stormed down to his workshop ordering JARVIS to keep everyone out.

He turned on the television while making some adjustments on his armor. He was fuming about what had just happened to Mia and at Obi's admission that he had filed an injunction against him.

In a sudden fit of rage Tony activated the gauntlet he was working on and shot out a window. He felt flying glass hit his face and body but ignored it and instead blew out the remaining windows in the workshop.

Anger not yet sated a story about the town of Gulmira came on the television in the background. The Ten Rings were apparently trying to take rule over the small Town Yinsen was from. The town where his family had been killed by the Ten Rings prior to his capture. Seeing red, Tony got into the new under mesh suit they'd been working on and got JARVIS set up to suit up his armor. He flew out the workshop at top speed, saving his rage for the Ten Rings.


	19. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

He landed perfectly this time, the ground solid under his armored legs. He used his gauntlets to shoot away some random Ten Rings members, the armor heavy but moving smoothly. About to continue with his attack he saw the terrorists had decided to use villagers as shields. Lowering his arms, letting the terrorists think they had the upper hand he let his targeting system take aim at them. The system was able to correctly differentiate between civilians and terrorists before sending out micro missiles from the shoulders. He silently thanked Mia for the idea but wasn't done yet.

Using the thermal sensors he found the one in charge and pulled him out of hiding, tossing him amidst the angry villagers. He knew that monster and wanted to beat him so badly he almost couldn't breathe but the red light came on stating that some parts of the armor were overheating fast.

"He's all yours." He told the villagers prior to taking off in a hurry to return to his workshop and have the armor removed.

While mid air he suddenly felt a pain blossoming in his side before realizing he was falling to the ground. Climbing out of the crater that was created with the fall he saw a tank had caused the impact to his suit when it fired a shell. Another missile came his way and this time was smoothly dodged. He shot a miniature missile at the tank and walked away, hearing the boom of its explosion seconds later.

At the very least he now had a bruised set of ribs and there were multiple terrorists shooting at him. He could feel the heat of the armor against his inner suit and was anxious to get home. He flew up and targeted each set of weapons he saw and blew them up, causing those shooting at him to scatter.

Once again trying to get home he flew through the air quickly as he could without further injuring himself when Rhodey's ID came up on his HUD.

"Hey Tony, what are you up to?"

"Oh you know, driving around."

Rhodey rolled his eyes. "Then why do you sound out of breath? Shouldn't you be home with Mia anyhow?"

Tony hissed as a particularly hot piece of metal started getting through to his skin.

"Why do you sound out of breath Tony? Are you sure you don't have some tech out in Gulmira somewhere? A known base camp for some terrorists just blew up and we didn't do it."

"Well then, it sounds like someone did your job for you." Tony decided to play dumb. "Gulmira? Where's that again?"

"Are you sure you don't have tech somewhere you shouldn't?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"That's good Tony because I'm looking at a bogey now and I'm going to blow it out of the sky."

"No problem buddy. Have at it." Tony grunted as he stepped up his game and started evading the two jets that came up beside him.

He shot out flares from his suit to blow up a missile coming his way. He wanted to evade and get away without harming the pilots in the jets but they weren't making it easy. He was in an uncontrolled fall through the clouds due to the EM pulse the missile had thrown out. The jets were still coming strong and he tried to outsmart them realizing he might be in trouble.

It was at that time that Rhodey's personal cell phone started ringing, Tony's ID showing on the front. He picked it up slowly, dreading what Tony had to say.

"It's me. You asked and I'm telling you it's me."

Rhodey began to lecture Tony about sending tech into his territory and Tony made it clear that it wasn't just tech, it was a suit and he was in it.

Rhodey panicked when he heard Tony who was starting to sound a bit hysterical. The control center wanted news and he didn't know what to say. The pilots spotted the suit then. It was holding onto the belly of one of the jets. Rhodey watched speechless as he saw the suit being shaken off and hitting the wing of the other jet, damaging it critically.

The pilot ejected but the parachute was jammed. Tony, in his armor, swooped in and released the jam in the mechanism saving the pilot's life. There was cheering in the control center and Rhodey smiled getting back on the phone with Tony.

"You SOB, you owe me a plane" he said with a chuckle. ""Well, technically they hit me so…."

The friends chatted, Rhodey still declined the offer to see what Tony was working on and Tony made the remainder of his way back uneventfully.

Back at the workshop Tony was cringing and complaining as the rig he'd set up to remove the armor was failing miserably.

"Sir, the more you struggle, the more this is going to hurt." The voice of JARVIS was coming over the workshop speakers as Pepper went down to check on her boss once he'd lifted the lockdown.

She stared at her boss in the middle of all the whirring machines and openly gaped as pieces of metal were being pulled off of him.

"I designed this to come off. Ow! Hey!"

Pepper decided that this would be a good time to interrupt. "What's going on here?" Worry laced her voice and dark circles were under her eyes after the events of the previous night.

Tony looked like a child who got caught stealing cookies from the jar. His eyes got wide and there was a moment of silence. "Let's face it, this isn't the worst thing you've seen me do."

Pepper looked more closely and the pieces being taken off. "Are those bullet holes?" she asked incredulously.

*0*0*0*0*

Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan, Obi was talking to the leader of the Ten Rings to get what he wanted. The pieces of the original metal suit Tony used to escape. Once he got what he wanted, he killed the man and those under him and headed back to USA soil to continue work of his own suit of armor. All he needed now was a power source. He had recruited a select few of the Stark Industry scientists and engineers to work on the project in secret. Not even Tony was made aware of it.

*0*0*0*0*

Patched up and setting JARVIS on running diagnostics for the suit Tony headed back up to Mia's room to sit a bit before cleaning up. Next thing he knew, someone was calling his name.

"Tony, Tony…" The man in question mumbled incoherently and lightly slapped at the hand that was shaking him while he slept. "Tony, are you OK?"

At that question Tony's mind started up, wondering why he was being asked such a question and then the previous night came rushing back into focus along with his various aches and pains. He woke with a start and jumped out of his chair quickly kneeling beside the bed where Mia was sitting propped up against the head rest looking a bit rough around the edges but very much alert and aware.

"You're awake!" Tony was so relieved that without any thought he gathered her up in his arms and just held her tight, breathing deeply. Mia felt awkward since he'd managed to pin her arms to her side but there was no sense of panic welling up in her and once she relaxed into him she actually liked having his warmth wrapped around her.

They spoke then about what Mia had mumbled about her family. Tony felt ashamed for having left her behind at the base and then not following up on her once he knew she'd arrived in America. She was an orphan now, like him and even though he'd caused her such pain, she had agreed to visit him and help him with his plan of revenge. He had no words to give her but allowed her to hang onto him as he held onto her and she cried for her family.

*0*0*0*

Mia hissed as the hot water stung her cuts but loosened her sore muscles as she stood under the spray of water coming from the showerhead in her ensuite bathroom.

It had taken multiple reassurances and a checkup from Yinsen to finally convince Tony to leave her side. She could see he didn't know what to do to help her and finally insisted that if he wanted to help her he could start with leaving her alone so she could clean up and she not so subtly added that he should do the same.

In retrospect she may have been a bit harsh towards him and she hoped his feelings weren't too hurt.

To the outside world it may seem like the only feelings Tony has are for money and women but Mia and those Tony considered family knew better than that. She sighed and stepped out of the shower. She bandaged her wrists as best she could with the roll of gauze that was left in the room for her and got dressed for a late breakfast.

*0*0*0*

The kitchen was unusually empty and after a quick check with JARVIS she confirmed that Tony still hadn't finished cleaning up. She rolled her eyes at the news remembering the last time Tony made her wait on him so he could 'get pretty'. His words, not hers.

Wanting to apologize to Tony Mia got to work on preparing a breakfast for the two of them plus more in case anyone else wandered by.

After looking though the cupboards and fridge she decided to make pancakes and eggs with bacon. She set the bacon on a baking sheet and popped it into the pre-heated oven. While that was being done she got to work making the pancake batter and eggs.

Twenty minutes later, having nearly finished all the cooking Mia set the table and got a soda bottle from the fridge and promptly dumped the contents down the sink. She rinsed out the bottle and poured in the remaining pancake batter and pierced a hole into the cap before placing it back on the bottle. Using her improvised squeeze bottle she got to work on the last few pancakes. There wasn't any food coloring around but she was confident she could make do without.

Just as the last item was placed on the table, Tony walked into the kitchen with his hair still damp.

Mia sat at the table with him and his eyes widened at all the food that was being presented. Without asking, Mia made up a plate for Tony and placed a special pancake on top. She placed it in front of Tony and got her own plate together.

She ate with a relish, feeling like she hadn't eaten in ages. While helping herself to more bacon she started to slow down and realized that Tony was staring at her, mouth slightly agape, not having touched his own breakfast yet.

Mia swallowed her food and chased it down with some juice before speaking. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She broke off a piece of pancake and popped it into her mouth.

"Huh? No, I was just wondering if you had a hollow leg or legs on you. Where are you packing all this food?"

Mia shrugged and went for more juice. "I'm just hungry, so I'm eating. You're the one who keeps telling me I'm too skinny."

Tony winced slightly while watching her. "You know I was just teasing you, right? Buy even if you got fat I'd still want to have you with me."

Mia smiled and got up from the table. "Thanks Tony, that's sweet of you to say." She saw he hadn't eaten from his own plate yet and she was finishing up. "How come you aren't eating? Not hungry after taking the suit out yesterday?"

Tony was surprised to hear her say that but figured Pepper had mentioned it to her earlier. Mia and Pepper were quite close these days and the two of them spent a lot of time in each other's company.

"I was going to eat, but then I didn't know what to do with this." He emphasized the last word with a stab to the pancake on top of his plate. "Why did I get the burnt one?"

Mia turned red and mumbled something, turning her back to Tony as she placed her dishes in the sink to clean.

"What was that? I didn't hear you?" Tony wasn't teasing but genuinely wanted to know what Mia had said.

"I said, it isn't burnt. That was supposed to be a pancake spelling out your name. I saw a video online and wanted to try it out but it proved more difficult than I anticipated." Mia hung her head and didn't face Tony.

Tony was touched by Mia's efforts but still wasn't going to eat the strange looking pancake so he went to toss it and he saw the squirt bottle with the mix just sitting there.

*0*0*0*0*

An hour later, Tony and Mia both were cleaning up the kitchen after the mess they'd made earlier. Once Tony had seen the improvised squirt bottle, he'd insisted on making a pancake for Mia and one thing led to another. Before they knew it Pepper, Yinsen and Happy were all standing in the kitchen staring in surprise at the mess. Pepper was trying to look stern but that was quickly ruined when a blob of batter fell on her forehead from the ceiling.


	20. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The usual trio were in the workshop tinkering with the workings of the suit when Pepper walked in. Tony had called her down after they'd all decided to end things with Obadiah once and for all.

After Tony hacked into the Stark company files he had found written evidence that the leak in Stark Industries was coming from Obadiah and his dealings under the table. Mia and Yinsen agreed that it was time to make their move and Pepper and Happy had to be a part of it. They were all one family and they would all be there for each other no matter what and none of them were going to be shut out of something this important.

Pepper came down and Tony approached her as Mia and Yinsen remained in the background.

"Hey, are you busy? Mind going on an errand?" Tony knew Pepper was always busy so the question was rhetorical, really and he didn't wait for her to respond before continuing.

"I need you to go into my office at Stark Industries and hack into the mainframe to obtain all recent shipping manifests. Don't give me that look, Mia already took care of it. Mia, come on over and explain things."

Mia walked over and stood across from Pepper as Tony went back to the suit. She handed Pepper a miniaturized computer that would plug into a USB port. "Hi Pepper, I know you have questions but you're the only one who can take care of this without arousing suspicion. You can refuse, of course but we all agreed that we wanted to ask you first." At Pepper's confused and questioning look she continued.

"The USB key you're holding will take care of everything. All you need to do is plug it into Tony's desktop computer at the office and it'll automatically find and download the files we need to put Obadiah away for good."

Pepper looked up at Mia and called out to Tony and Yinsen. "Guys, I love all of you and you know I'd do anything to help but I can't help you guys if you're all just being dragged into the dark place that Tony was in before you two came here. I won't help Tony start all this again."

"Pepper, there's been nothing except this all along. Mia and Yinsen know this and they knew this when they agreed to come here and help me. There are no art shows, no benefits, nothing to sign. There's only this. Plugging up the hole in MY company, getting back MY weapons and putting Obadiah away for good! There is nothing else, just this, just the mission." Tony's eyes were full of passion and conviction as he spoke to Pepper, perhaps with more force than he'd intended.

Pepper looked at the faces on the other side of the worktable before looking back at Tony and responding, anger in her eyes. "Is that so? Nothing else? Well then, I quit." She tossed the USB onto the bench and started walking away.

Mia was about to go after her but Yinsen held her back as Tony spoke up once more.

"You stood by me all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction and now, NOW that I want to change things and protect the people, NOW you want to walk away?" Tony was standing, looking rejected while he spoke.

"You're going to kill yourself Tony, and Mia, Yinsen you two are going to help him and probably join him not long after that! I won't be a part of this." Pepper was shaking with rage and grief as she watched the darkness creeping over her boss.

Mia and Yinsen looked away knowing there was truth behind Pepper's words but they also knew this had to be done.

"I shouldn't be alive Pepper but thanks to these two I'm here and I'm not crazy. I just finally know what I have to do with my life and I know in my heart that it's right."

Touched by Tony's conviction and dedication Pepper stepped back to the table and took the key. "You guys are all I have too; I won't let you go through this alone." She turned around and stepped over the broken glass panes in the workshop on her way out without looking back.

Once Pepper left they got to work on finishing up the suit. It wouldn't be long now and if all went well their preparations wouldn't be necessary but they had to be ready.

As they were wrapping up Tony's phone rang and it showed Pepper as the caller. Tony opened the phone to answer when suddenly the lights went out and a piercing sound came over the speakers in the workshop.

All three fell to the floor paralyzed and in pain as the signals from their brains to their bodies were scrambled causing their organs to become paralyzed, breaths trapped in their chests, hearts hardly pumping.

Obadiah then walked in from the broken window frame and rolled Tony over while Yinsen and Mia watched helplessly. The man spoke to Tony, too low for anyone else to overhear and then a cylindrical device was taken out of a briefcase and Obadiah pressed it up to the reactor in Tony's chest. There was a smell of burning flesh and the skin around the device was burned away and the device grabbed onto the reactor.

Tony couldn't move but did his best to stare Obadiah down with the most hate he could muster as he endured the additional pain as the reactor was being pulled out. Tony's eyes then widened when JARVIS announced a breach in the property and went into security lockdown.

Panicked at the unexpected revival of JARVIS Obadiah yanked the reactor out hard, tearing the external wiring and running off without looking back.

Tony lay prone on the ground along with Yinsen and their eyes went wide when they saw Mia slowly moving. She crawled to the old arc reactor that Pepper had placed in a display for Tony. Mia had chuckled at it when she first saw it and never thought Tony was the sentimental type but she was glad it was there now. Obadiah had left Tony with shrapnel cutting slowly towards his heart and from the looks of it he had actually damaged the reactor as he removed it so even if they could have retrieved it, there was no way to install it without some repairs.

Mia shook the table and when it didn't cause the reactor to fall she pulled herself up and knocked it down where the display smashed into pieces and released the reactor.

Crawling over the broken shards Mia made her way to Tony and with weakened arms inserted the old reactor into the port on his chest.

Tony took a deep breath in shock as the shrapnel in his chest was once more pushed away from his heart. Relieved, Mia let herself drop to the floor beside him just as Rhodey came into the house and with JARVIS's guidance came into the workshop to find the three of them on the floor.

Rhodey ran to his friend's side first. Tony was pale and sweating as he helped him up. "Tony, what happened?"

"Obadiah happened. He took my reactor."

Rhodey looked at Tony's chest and gave the man a confused look.

"This is my old one, he took the new one I made when I first got home. Go check on Yinsen, I'm fine for now, I'll see to Mia."

Mia was awake and laying on the floor catching her breath, bits of glass had dug through her clothes and into her skin leaving little spots of blood. Tony helped her sit up and she winced as the shards of glass shifted.

"Hey, nice save. I owe you my life."

"Thanks, now we're even."

"I never kept score."

"Neither did I but it seemed like a cool thing to say."

They both smiled as Rhodey came back into view with Yinsen's arm around his shoulder as he helped the man up to the main floor.

"Well, let's go upstairs. Looks like we've got work to do."

Rhodey and Yinsen were sitting on a couch. Yinsen was sipping at a bottle of water and Rhodey quickly got one for Tony and Mia too.

"Thanks man. So what brought you here?" Tony looked at his best friend.

"Pepper called when you didn't reply to her call. She said Obadiah's gone crazy and that I had to get you."

Tony and the others sat up straighter worried about Pepper's safety. Rhodey was quick to assure them that she was safe in the company of some agents from some obscure security company. Tony called her up to quickly confirm and confirmed to everyone that Pepper seemed fine. He then turned to Mia.

"So…how come you weren't paralyzed like the two of us? Yinsen and I were knocked out cold but you managed to drag yourself over to me." He turned to Yinsen. "By the way, Mia hurt herself, Yinsen look her over once we've all recovered. We've got work to do and I need to suit up."

Rhodey, Yinsen and Mia all looked at Tony like he was mad but they knew time was short now that Obadiah had the reactor.

They were all about to get up when Tony again asked Mia about her resistance to the device Obadiah had used.

Mia tried to shrug it off but Tony could be really insistent. "Too many blows to the head, I lost the hearing in one ear so I guess the sound wasn't as effective on me."

Yinsen looked down when Tony looked to him for confirmation and the man felt remorse at not knowing about her condition. First the loss of her family and now hearing loss which he also felt responsible for. A hand on his shoulder stirred him out of his thoughts as the burning pain in his chest subsided and the burned circle on the skin healed.

"Tony, don't worry about it. I probably wouldn't be alive and standing here if it wasn't for you and Yinsen. So what if one ear can't hear. I've got another."

Tony looked at Mia gratefully and placed a hand on top of hers on his shoulder. "Stop it, you've done enough today." He could see the discomfort in her eyes as she took on the burns on his chest and felt a welling of emotions inside himself he couldn't describe.

"I'm not the one about to get into a physical fight. I just want to help as much as I can." Mia smiled at him warmly despite the burned circle of flesh now on her chest and finally released his shoulder once she was satisfied with Tony's improved condition.

Once everyone was up and able they all split up. Yinsen and Mia went upstairs so that Yinsen could treat her cuts from the glass and Tony and Rhodey went to the workshop so that Tony could prepare.

*0*0*0*

Tony stood still, moving as needed to assist the robots as they placed the armor on his body. Rhodey circled the platform Tony was on as he armored up. "That is the coolest thing I've ever seen." He had a look of wonder on his face as he watched his friend disappear into the suit of gold and red armor.

No time for small talk Tony smirked at his friend who asked if he needed anything else. "Keep the skies clear." The ominous voice boomed out of the suit as Rhodey shook his head while Tony blasted away an already trashed car and flew out from a hole in the ceiling. Shaking his head Rhodey walked over to a super car and drove off to where the action was.


	21. Chapter 22

Iron Souls - Chapter 22

At the Stark Industries research building Pepper ran as Obadiah chased her and agent Coulson through the factory floor. The other agents had died buying them time to run and Pepper hid behind a column as agent Coulson tried to distract him further. She worried about Tony and what he might be up to and speak of the devil he was phoning her. She looked at her phone incredulous.

Relieved and worried both at the same time she answered her phone in a panicked, desperate sort of tone. Tony, is that you? Listen, Obadiah's lost his mind, he's insane don't come here he'll kill you!"

Worried about Pepper and feeling responsible for having caused this mess Tony had already suited up and was almost there when he called Pepper. "Pep, I'm almost there, I have to stop this."

"You don't have to do anything. SHIELD can take care of this, just get far away from here, go!"

"Sorry Potts, I'm already here" Tony, suited up crashed into Obadiah in his monstrous suit just as he was about to kill Pepper.

They caused massive damage to their surroundings as they fought and Tony did his best to ensure that no bystanders were killed at the same time. JARVIS warned him that he was down to 19% power as chaos exploded all around him.

Innocent bystanders were screaming as the grotesque monstrosity of a suit Obadiah was donning lifted and tossed Tony's suit around like a rag doll.

"Tony, Tony! Do you hear us?" Mia and Yinsen came through on the internal comm. "You don't have enough power to win this fight. You have to retreat; he's going to kill you!"

Tony was not going to back down but Mia did give him an idea. He feinted like he was running away by flying straight up. Predictably, Obadiah followed. He ignored Mia and Yinsen on the comm and continued to fly higher.

JARVIS came through the comm and indicated he was down to 11% power but Tony pushed further and told JARVIS to quiet but leave the power rating on the HUD.

Obadiah caught Tony's suit by the leg and pulled him down doing his best to smash the suit. Tony knew he didn't have much longer but he wanted to hold up just long enough to take Obadiah down with him.

Obadiah was boasting as he pummeled Tony while holding him in a vice grip and Tony spoke up. "How'd you fix the icing problem?"

"Icing problem?"

Then, Obadiah's suit lost power and Tony watched as his foe plummeted to the ground. Unfortunately at this point, he himself only had 2% power left and his thrusters could no longer support him at his current altitude. He made a rough landing onto the Stark Industries power building that housed the large, original arc reactor and tried to get out of his suit to preserve what power was left. He had just taken off the left glove when Obadiah' menacing form rose from the ground and landed behind him on the roof.

Already on backup power and missing a gauntlet Tony could do little to fight. Obadiah grabbed Tony and was slowly crushing the suit. Tony couldn't breathe as he used his bare and armored hand to claw at the massive machine holding him. His last thought was of Mia when his eyes got large. Her micro flares! "Flares!" He yelled at JARVIS and the last piece of his arsenal worked brilliantly to blind Obadiah in his suit, giving Tony the opportunity to escape his grip and phone Pepper with instructions to overload the building's arc reactor.

Unknown to Tony, Mia and Yinsen had just arrived on scene and they watched helpless as Pepper overloaded the arc reactor and blew Obadiah up as Tony along with what was left of his suit were blown aside.

Obadiah, still inside the suit fell into the arc reactor and caused it to explode, taking the building with it.

The shock of the explosion sent hot air and shrapnel at Pepper and at Happy who was trying to protect her. Yinsen took them aside to asses for injuries quickly while Mia ran up the side of the building using a fire escape ladder to look for Tony while the fire continued to rage.

She found him after some looking around. Everything had been reduced to rubble and the grate she'd been walking on was rickety and damaged. She saw him then, laying with his eyes closed on a piece of broken grate. The mask and helmet had been blasted off and she could see the scrapes and bruises lining his face, further emphasized by his sickly pallor. She called his name and shook him but he remained unresponsive. The arc reactor had gone dark, burnt out as it was pushed beyond its capabilities in the fight. "Tony! Wake up, wake up!" Pepper was now beside her and shaking Tony vigorously.

Unable to do anything for him Pepper cried over his still form, closing her eyes to stem the flow of tears. His suit was preventing her from even trying CPR but that wasn't a viable option since it would only cause the shards in his chest to shred him from the inside. The situation seemed hopeless when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked behind her and saw Yinsen looking at her, worry for Tony evident in his eyes. Mia was now on the opposite side and was sitting on the ground across from Pepper on Tony's other side. She had tears in her eyes too as she looked at Tony.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you were at the house."

"We'll talk later, but right now we need to help Tony." Yinsen had removed a tool from his pocket and was applying it to parts of the suit causing them to loosen up and become easy to remove. He would apply the tool and Mia would remove the plate. Pepper caught on and helped with their efforts.

Once the top portion of the suit was removed Yinsen stopped and checked Tony's vitals. He shook his head in sadness. "There is but a faint pulse and he's not breathing. I'm not sure I can bring him back this time. The reactor in his chest has burned out and all that's keeping him alive is the core magnet. It won't keep the shards from his heart for long, I'm sorry." He bowed his head in defeat; Pepper sat there numb and looked at Tony as his lips were starting to look blue.

Mia was shaking and her hands were balled into fists. "No! He's not gone yet and he can't die! Not like this, not thinking he was alone. Yinsen I'm going to fix this, get ready. I'm going to need a battery or something for the magnet under the reactor. "She looked around quickly and saw a man in a suit checking the perimeter about them. "You!" Agent Coulsen came over, wanting to help however he could. "What do you need?"

"I need a car battery, hurry, please!" Mia tipped Tony's head back and gave him a few breaths to keep his brain from becoming too oxygen deprived. While she did that Yinsen made quick work of the suit and had pulled out some wires and exposed the tips underneath the reactor in Tony's chest. Pepper gasped as she saw the gaping hole in his chest. Happy, who had now joined everyone on the roof did his best to reassure his girlfriend but was also shocked to see the plating which housed the reactor and the resulting hole in Tony's chest.

Everyone held their breaths as Mia and Yinsen worked. Coulson returned quickly with a battery and Yinsen quickly connected it to the wires in Tony's chest. Yinsen worked quickly and was about to connect the last wire to power the magnet when Mia stopped the mouth to mouth and spoke up. "Yinsen, if you boost the magnet is there a chance the shards might be pushed back out? By now they might have gotten a bit closer to his heart."

"There is the possibility, but it would cause extreme damage internally but there is nothing we can do about that now."

"Do it, I'll take care of it. If those shards pierce his heart, I don't think even I could do anything while they're still in there." She steeled herself for what was to come already feeling Tony's pain with her proximity to him.

"Mia, his pulse has stopped."

Mia knew what was coming and breathed deeply and tried to center herself. "Do it Yinsen." The words sounded forced as she looked up at Pepper before Yinsen proceeded. "Pepper, do you trust me? I can help Tony, but I need you to trust me."

Pepper hesitated so Mia spoke up while motioning Tony's still form. "Listen, he's dying, half his rib cage is smashed up from the dents in the armor, his ankle is twisted, probably broken with major nerve and muscle damage but most importantly he isn't breathing and now his heart has stopped. I can't make it any worse."

Happy held Pepper closer.

"Please, just trust me." Mia's eyes were pleading and sincere.

"If you can help him, do it. Please, before it's too late."

"Alright, Yinsen, make sure no one touches me or Tony. It might take a while but if anything happens to me don't touch us until it's done, you'll know when that is. Got it?"

Yinsen nodded unsure of Mia's ability to absorb so much damage at once while the small crowd around Tony looked puzzled.

"Ok, here it goes." Mia breathed deeply and placed her hands on Tony's chest on either side of the housing where his arc reactor had been. She let go suddenly and fell back as if burned. Before anyone said anything she quickly got back into the same position. Tears pooled in her eyes as the pain magnified now that she was touching Tony. Her breathing was fast and hard and she looked terrified. The onlookers didn't know what was going on but Yinsen made sure they didn't interfere. Once again Mia closed her eyes and tried to ignore everyone and everything around her as she concentrated on helping Tony through the onslaught of pain.

"Yinsen, what….." Pepper's question died on her tongue as Mia's breathing became labored and she started whimpering in pain. Pepper brought a hand to her mouth in shock as she saw the scratches on Tony's face disappear, she couldn't believe it.

Happy took his eyes off Tony and saw that while Tony looked better, Mia seemed to be looking worse. Bruises were appearing on her face, cuts and scratches were being opened up and now there was a sickening crunch that sounded like breaking bones. Everyone stared at Mia as her form seemed to crumple inward. Sweat and tears were running down her face as she was overloaded with pain. She wished she could stop here but she couldn't control how she healed, if she stopped here she'd probably lose consciousness and she couldn't guarantee that Tony would make it. She'd gone in this far, she wasn't going to stop until this was done.

If the injuries didn't kill Tony outright, she hoped they wouldn't kill her either. After that her only concern would be dying from shock but she had faith in Yinsen and his ability to keep that from happening. If all went well in a few weeks she would be back to 100% with only a memory of the pain but she was getting tired faster now and didn't know how much longer she could hold out. "Yinsen…., Yinsen…" Her voice was watery and barely understandable. "Yinsen looked up at her …

"If I don't make it….the shock….will you let him know…..? Please…." She couldn't get the words out, her ankle was smashed, half her body felt like the bones had turned to dust and chest was on fire, it was difficult to breath, ….."

Agent Coulson was standing behind Mia now and was about to separate her from Tony when Yinsen's panicked yell caught his attention.

"Don't touch her or your life will be forfeit! She can't control the energy transfer but it is much greater than what the average person uses. If a living thing, be it plant or person touches her in this state she will absorb and transfer that energy killing its source. She will never forgive herself if she kills someone in that way due to carelessness. Leave her be, she has made her choice and all we can do is wait."

With a final tortured scream Mia sent out everything she had into Tony and promptly fell on to his chest in a boneless heap. Tony woke up with a sudden inhalation of air, a violent jerk and a yell, eyes wide and frantic. "Woah! What the hell is going on? Did I win?" He sat up, eyes wild and looked at the shocked people gathered around him. "Yinsen, is that you? Weren't you and Mia back at the workshop? Where's Mia?"

Yinsen looked down and it was then that Tony realized the heaviness on him wasn't the suit; it was a person, more specifically Mia. "What happened to her? Did she get hurt in the fight? Potts, you said the factory was empty." Tony was speaking rapidly while gently supporting her body with his own, afraid to move her, lest he cause more harm than good.

He also looked down at his chest where the arc reactor would be and was slightly horrified to see an empty hole in his chest instead. He looked around, eyes wide at the fact that his closest friends were seeing him in such a vulnerable state.

"It was….she came here after…..to help..." Pepper only now realized how badly Mia was hurt. She didn't know what just happened but she knew that Tony was OK and Mia was not.

Yinsen was quick to move to Tony's other side where Agent Coulson was and with some help he gently laid her down beside Tony. She looked worse than Tony had. She had a pulse but it was very faint and unlike Tony she was breathing but it was more of a wet wheeze indicating she probably had a collapsed lung.

Pepper was always in control, always knew the score. It scared her when she didn't know what was going on. She looked over to Yinsen who seemed to know the most of what just happened. "How is this possible? I don't even know what just happened, what happened? How is Tony alive, why is Mia hurt?" She was looking at Yinsen, eyes wide.

"I did nothing but hook up a car battery, but what Mia did is a long story and will take some time to explain. I myself know little about what she can do, having witnessed in only once in Afghanistan but she spoke to me about it on our way here. In short, she was successful and Tony should be completely healed. She on the other hand will probably require medical attention but a hospital is not ideal for her. She has the ability not only to do what she did but she can feel the physical pain of others. To place her in a hospital would only add to her pain. Since she's alive now, I think we only need to keep her stable while her body heals. If she doesn't go into shock or drown in the fluid building up in her lungs she should heal faster than a person normally would so long as the injuries weren't inflicted directly on her. "

No one had said it but Tony could put one and one together. He was hurt, he should be dead but instead, somehow Mia was suffering instead. Everyone around him always suffered and his guilt over the fact that Mia was once again hurt because of him cut deeply.

Agent Coulson took the opportunity to speak while everyone was too shocked by what Yinsen had told them. "A SHEILD med team is on the way for Miss Solomon. We have a secured building available for treating special patients. Mr. Yinsen, you're welcome to ride back with the team to assist.

Yinsen nodded while he tried to make Mia comfortable using some blankets that Happy had acquired from somewhere. "If she doesn't die from the shock to her system she will heal at an accelerated pace. The problem will be keeping her alive long enough."


	22. Iron Souls Epilogue

Epilogue

A week later Tony had cards in his hands as Pepper helped him get ready to make a statement to the press.

Agent Coulsen, using the resources at SHEILD had put together the conference and provided Tony with what he was supposed to say.

"It's not bad. Even I don't think I'm Ironman." He was reading the notes on the cards as Pepper applied makeup to his bruises and took the various bandages off his face.

Pepper looked at Tony and shook her head. "That's because you're not."

The two of them walked out as agent Coulsen had moments ago but not before turning to the figure on the other side of the room.

Mia hadn't woken since she'd healed Tony but it was taken as a positive sign that all the external injuries she'd taken on had healed and her pulse and breathing were stronger. They were expecting her to wake any day now and Yinsen nodded to Pepper and Tony as they left the SHIELD medical facility.

Mia stirred as Yinsen watched Tony at the podium on the large television in the room. Yinsen hadn't noticed yet as she stared at the television too.

An hour later, by the time Tony and Pepper returned to the room to see Mia and Yinsen but both of them were gone.

Mia had scrawled a quick note and left it for Tony to find on the pillow. Tony didn't share the letter's contents with Pepper but folded it up and stuffed it into his breast pocket before walking out.

"Tony, what's going on?" Pepper stepped in front of him and stepped to the side when he did to prevent him from walking further.

"Nothing's going on Pepper. Mia woke up. I broke a promise and now it's like it used to be. Just you and me. Well, you, me and Happy. And Rhodey. Let's not forget Rhodey. It's just us from now on."

Tony left a shocked Pepper behind him as he walked to the car. He would respect Yinsen's and Mia's wishes but he silently promised that he would be there for them if they ever called.

FIN

*0*0*0*

I hope you had a fun time reading this. I know it isn't deep and it lacks details but it was something I had on my brain for a while and wanted to get it out in writing.

Stay tuned for the next story in the series where Mia has a run in with the X-Men in Iron X.


End file.
